MARGAO
Are all the e-challan machines with the police department distributed to the police stations in working conditions?
Many such machines with some of the police stations are awaiting repairs and maintenance. This has come in the way of implementing the Motor Vehicles Act.
This assumes significance at a time when the new district police chief, SP Pankaj Kumar Singh, has directed all the police stations, including the traffic police in South Goa, to crack a whip against MV Act violators.
Take the case of Margao police station. Sources in the know informed that it was handed around five e-challan machines. Of the five machines, just one is in working condition.
Police sources informed that these machines ought to be repaired without delay, saying that the Margao police are handicapped in cracking a whip against the motor vehicle violations. It is learnt that machines, which are in need of repairs, are required to be dispatched to the police headquarters for repairs.
At the neighbouring Maina Curtorim police station, the department had handed over two such e-challan machines. Both the machines were out of order for some time, before the police replaced these recently.
At other police stations and traffic cells, the situation is no different. The Colva traffic cell was handed over around 10 e-challan machines, of which two are awaiting repairs or replacements.
A police official informed that instead of the police stations dispatching the non-functioning machines to the police headquarters, an arrangement should be put in place wherein the machines are repaired at the district headquarters periodically, more so when the policemen are barred from issuing paper challans.
