the goan I network
MAPUSA
Virtually endorsing the traffic sentinel scheme introduced by his predecessor, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said police have managed to reduce violations with involvement of public.
He, however, assured to look into the functioning of the scheme after some members of the Goa Legislative Assembly called for scrapping of the same.
“Traffic sentinel scheme is a platform to promote community policing. Traffic police have managed to reduce traffic nuisance and control/reduce violations of the traffic rules with involvement of public,” Sawant said in a written reply to St Cruz MLA Antonio Fernandes.
He said a total of 7,387 citizens have been enrolled as traffic sentinels in the State, while Rs 37.81 lakh has been paid to 165 traffic sentinels so far, even as payment of Rs 29.27 lakh was pending.
He further informed that police have issued 1,54,456 challans and collected an amount of Rs 1.77 crore from the time the scheme was launched (November 10, 2017) till June 30.
“Since traffic sentinels are informants and to ensure safety of their identity, we cannot disclose their names. No compensation is being paid but the traffic sentinels were rewarded for reporting traffic violations,” he said.
Pouncing on the statement, Congress MLA Alexio Reginald Lourence said if the government cannot ensure the safety of traffic sentinels, then the best way out was to discontinue the scheme.
Aldona MLA Glenn Ticlo also suggested that the chief minister should make proper study of the scheme before taking a final decision on it.
Nationalist Congress Party MLA Churchill Alemao called for scrapping of the scheme, instead of wasting money on the sentinels.
“When the government does not have enough cash why is it splurging on these sentinels? We should
abolish this scheme,” Alemao
said.
MGP leader and Marcaim MLA Sudin Dhavlikar reminded the House that former chief minister Manohar Parrikar had assured to form a committee to look into the issues of the scheme.
The CM said with the available manpower, it was not possible to deputy traffic police at every location to prosecute traffic violators and instil road discipline.
“All the same we will look into the functioning of the scheme and take appropriate decision in the matter,” he said.
Former CM late Manohar Parrikar was a votary of the scheme, which was introduced by former DGP Muktesh
Chander.
The government lowered its guard on the scheme after several citizens, including legislators, raised a hue and cry against the scheme, with some saying it was an invasion of an individual’s
privacy.
