MARGAO
Will the new police stations proposed in Salcete around half a decade ago become a reality in the next five years as a new government is scheduled to take over by the weekend?
And, will the police stations of Colva and Maina Curtorim have their independent premises as they are presently functioning in rented spaces?
The Goa police had mooted as many as three new police stations in Salcete, one each at Fatorda, Navelim and Benaulim. While the Fatorda police station has become a reality in the last five years after local MLA Vijai Sardesai propped up the Manohar Parrikar-led government, the proposals to carve out new police stations at Navelim and Benaulim have remained on paper.
Police officials in the know informed that the police department had made a determined bid to set up the Navelim police station, but the proposal had come a cropper over space constraints.
A senior police officer informed that the department had planned to set up the police station initially from the Navelim Panchayat Ghar, but the plan did not fructify.
Sources said outgoing Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro had also tried his best to make the Navelim police station a reality but in vain. In fact, the former MLA had even proposed to set up the police station in Davorlim village, on the border, but somehow the plan did not take off.
As per the initial proposal mooted by the Goa police, a total of three police stations of Benaulim, Navelim and Fatorda were proposed to reduce the load on the Colva and Margao police stations.
The proposed Benaulim police station was supposed to have jurisdiction over the coastal villages of Benaulim, Varca, Orlim, Carmona and Cavelossim, while the existing Colva police station would continue to exercise its jurisdiction over Colva, Betalbatim, Majorda and Seraulim.
As per the initial proposal, the Fatorda police station was supposed to be carved out of areas from Margao police station and neighbouring Maina Curtoirm police station. The initial proposal was to create a new Fatorda police station with areas coming under the Fatorda area of Margao Municipal Council, besides Nuvem and the Rassaim area of Loutolim. As it turned out, however, the Fatorda police station has only the municipal area of Fatorda in its jurisdiction.
Newly-elected Navelim MLA Ulhas Tuenkar said: “If the Goa police had proposed a new Navelim police station, it should have become a reality. I will check with the police department why the police station has not become a reality to date. If there are any issues concerning space, we will sort them out with the police department”, Tuenkar added.
