the goan I network
MARGAO
With the government sanctioning a separate Navelim police station, the Goa police top brass has zeroed in on a portion of the Navelim panchayat ghar to set up the police station, but the panchayat body wants the men-in-uniform not to take any decision in haste and without the nod from the gram sabha and panchayat.
The Police top brass, including IGP Jaspal Singh, SP headquarters Shekhar Prabhudesai, South district police chief Arvind Gawas descended at the Navelim panchayat ghar on Thursday noon, only to find the place suitable to house the proposed Navelim police station.
The police team told Deputy Sarpanch Paulo Pereira and others that the proposed police station can very well fit in one half of the ground floor of the Panchayat building. It was also suggested to the deputy sarpanch that the barracks for the police personnel manning the proposed police station may be housed in the Panchayat hall on the top floor of the building. The police team even recommended that the panchayat may shift the waste segregation unit from one side of the panchayat ghar to the other to accommodate the police station. “Yes, the police had gone to take a close look at the panchayat ghar and we have found that the proposed Navelim police station can straight away function from the Navelim panchayat ghar,” IGP Jaspal Singh told The Goan.
He further said that his office will move a note for the setting up of the police station in the Navelim panchayat ghar till the department construct a spacious building of its own.
District police chief Arvind Gawas said the Navelim police station can operate from the Navelim panchayat ghar as a stop gap arrangement till the department has a building of its own. “Construction of a new building may take two years and more. Till the new police station building is in place, the new police station can operate from the Navelim panchayat ghar,” SP Gawas added.
Navelim Deputy Sarpanch Paulo Pereira, however, has expressed his reservations over setting up the barracks in the panchayat hall. “The police officials have told us that the proposed police station may fit into half the portion of the ground floor of the panchayat ghar. But, they also want the panchayat hall for use as barracks. They have also suggested to shift the waste segregation site to the other side,” Paulo told The Goan.
The deputy sarpanch told the police team that neither he nor the sarpanch can take any unilateral decision to house the police station in the panchayat ghar when the panchayat building is meant for the functioning of the panchayat affairs. “Let the police department submit their proposal and it will be placed before the body meeting for a decision,” he said, adding that any police proposal will be placed before the gram sabha for a decision.
