PANAJI
Goa Police's claims of zero tolerance to crime and corruption stood exposed when a live phone-in interaction 'Hello Goykar' of the general public with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant shed light on their shortcomings.
Two callers highlighted alleged illegal activities in a slum in Madkai and widespread open gambling in Ponda.
The CM assured the callers that he would direct the Deputy Collector to inspect the slum and also order the police to crack down on all illegal activities not just in Ponda but throughout Goa starting from Saturday.
One of the callers, Darshan Naik, questioned who should be held responsible for the alleged illegal activities in the slum while raising concerns about possible untoward incidents. "This is an illegal slum located in the protected site in Madkai constituency. Who will be responsible if any untoward incident occurs," he questioned.
Sawant promptly assured him that the concerned Deputy Collector will be instructed to investigate the reported illegalities and verify the claims.
Another caller, Preetam Halmalkar, pointed out the open gambling activities. The Ponda-local also revealed how an illegal mini-casino that was previously shut down in a police raid was back in business.
Senior officers including Director General of Police Jaspal Singh had recently visited the police station jurisdiction, he said.
To this, the CM claimed that instructions would be issued to the police to raid such illegal activities in Ponda and across Goa, starting from Saturday.
During his conversation with the show host, Sawant emphasized that Goa has one of the highest crime detection rates in the country, nearly 98 percent.
When asked about the increase in crime, the CM this time refrained from making direct reference to "outsiders" and instead emphasized the importance of tenant verification to prevent potential crimes.
"Even if there has been an increase in crime, which could be attributed to various factors, the police are actively working to control it. People should also cooperate with the police," he said advising landlords to ensure that tenant verification is carried out, as this measure would contribute to a reduction in crime rates.
The State government on Thursday issued instructions to all the heads of departments and autonomous bodies to view the programme and take remedial measures/suo motu action on grievances raised by the public during the calls.
