PANAJI
The government departments received appreciation for their commendable job in the National Games. As a gesture of encouragement and motivation, the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) is hosting a lunch party on Tuesday.
But there's something missing. This lunch party is meant only for the seniors in each of these departments, a decision that has disappointed many. For example, in Goa police, only officers holding the rank of Police Inspectors and above are invited for the party. The lower-ranking personnel, who too played a significant role throughout the duration of the Games from October 25 to November 9, are excluded from this appreciation event.
This is despite the fact that around 90 per cent of the force on the field constituted the constables, head constables, assistant sub-inspectors and police sub-inspectors; even as the higher ranking officers did get major responsibilities to ensure the Games’ success on the security and traffic front.
The Goan is in receipt of a WhatsApp message reportedly circulated from the State Police Control Room, conveying about the lunch party. “As per IGP (Inspector General of Police) Goa, all officers of the rank of Police Inspectors and above are invited for a lunch party at 12:30 hrs at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium in view of successful arrangements during National Games in Goa,” reads the message, circulated among the concerned officers on Monday afternoon.
IGP Omvir Singh, who is currently holding additional charge of Director General of Police and Deputy Inspector General of Police, will lead the department.
Quite a few officers confirmed to The Goan about the receipt of the message, claiming that ‘another arrangement’ might follow for the lower staff, who have expressed utter disappointment on how they are being treated citing the latest development.
Throughout the event, sources revealed that the staff on morning duty were given Goan pav-bhaji around 8am and dry pulao with a small pickle sachet for lunch. Those who were on duty in the second half till around 10 pm or so, survived on a veg roll and a single banana or mosambi distributed in the evening. "The cooked food was not even fresh. Some of us were forced not to consume it," said one of the cops.
Around 5000 police personnel and officers were deployed on strict security duty within and around the venues including traffic management.
“Multiple sessions of briefing of staff have been organized so that nothing is left to chance. Around 5000 police personnel and officers would be deployed on duty which includes four companies of central armed police force. To ensure that all venues are subjected to security sweep, multiple anti-sabotage check teams are deployed. All venues have been organized into clusters and an SP rank officer has been made a Cluster Commander…” DGP Jaspal Singh had said in a press statement issued ahead of the National Games last month.
