Political apathy deprives Maina-Curtorim of independent police stn

the goan I network
MARGAO

While agencies such as the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) and the police department are working overtime ahead of the formal inauguration of the Fatorda police station, welcome, however, to the Maina-Curtorim police station.
Unlike the proposed Fatorda police station, the Maina-Curtorim police station has around 12-13 villages in its jurisdiction and yet has no independent premise and has been functioning from the district police headquarters, Margao since its creation in the late 80's.
Land was acquired way back around 2005 at Sonsodo-Raia to construct a modern police station with a lock-up and other facilities, but blame it on politics or simply the lack of will on the part of the powers that be, an independent police station premise for Maina-Curtorim is yet to see the light of day till date.
In fact, while the Parrikar-led government is moving with alacrity to make the Fatorda police station a reality to fulfill the promise made by the TCP Minister, successive governments have only paid lip service to set up an independent police station for Maina-Curtoirm.
And, statistics do support the demand for an independent premise for the Maina-Curtorim police station. Unlike Fatorda police station, whose policing limits may be restricted to the 11 wards of Margao Municipal Council, the Maina-Curtorim police station has within its limits around 13 villages spread across an area of 114 sq km with a population close to two lakh. That's not all. The Maina-Curtorim police station functions from a congested and crammed premise at the police headquarters. And, the police station has no independent lock-up facility of its own and has to be depend on the lock-up attached to the neighbouring Margao police station.
Officials in the know said that Maina-Curtorim police station has been part of the original Margao Rural police station before the new police station was carved out way back in the late 80's.
The police station has set up three police outposts at Chandor, Rumdamal and the Nessai Industrial estate. Villagers that come under the Maina-Curtorim police station includes Nuvem, Loutolim, Camurlim, Raia, Rachol, Curtorim, Macazana, Chandor, Guirdolim, Davorlim and Rumdamol, Nessai and Sao Jose de Areal.
With demand for an independent premise for the Maina-Curtoirim police station only getting louder and louder since the 90's, sources said the government had around 2005 acquired land admeasuring 9000 sq mts at Sonsodo in Raia village to house the police station premise, but in vain. In 2011, the government had reportedly accorded approval for the police station building plan, but nothing has been heard in the corridors of the police department the fate of the proposal since the last six years.
Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco said he raised the issue in the just concluded Assembly when Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who also holds the Home portfolio, promised to build a separate police station for Maina-Curtorim police station.
"The Chief Minister has told me on the floor of the House that the police station will take shape in the near future. I will again write to the Chief Minister to allocate funds for the police station premise," Reginaldo said.