the goan I network
MARGAO
Goa police man a desk right atop the bridge, apparently to search and check bags for liquor bottles smuggled into the station premises by passengers returning to their native states. There’s, however, no agency or authority to keep the stray dogs on the prowl right on the foot bridge or vagabonds loitering and making the footbridge their second home.
Visitors and locals alike say around half-a-dozen are normally seen on the footbridge, right near the desk manned by the Goa Police, but there’s no one around to drive the strays away, leaving the passengers to fend for themselves, as they are left with no option than to negotiate the stray dogs.
That’s not all. It’s still unclear whether the police manning the lone desk on the footbridge has been given a brief only to check liquor bottles smuggled inside the railway station. For, while unknown persons take shelter on the footbridge, the policemen on duty take no cognizance of their presence, giving a field day for any one and everyone to make the footbridge their second home.
When The Goan contacted Konkan Railway Corporation’s Senior Public Relations official Baban Ghatge to shed light on the presence of strays and unknown persons loitering on the footbridge, he virtually conceded that there’s no agency to take care of the stray, only promising to look into the matter.
“We have no agency at our disposal to tackle the strays. May be we will have to write to the Margao Municipal Council or bring the NGOs and animal rights group on board to handle the situation. I will have a meeting with our officials at the meeting scheduled later this week, how to go about the matter,” he said.
As far as the unknown persons taking shelter on the footbridge is concerned, Ghatge said the Railway Protection Force will be asked to take a call on this issue. “At our meeting scheduled later next week, we will also take up this issue for necessary action,” Ghatge assured.
Locals inhabiting the Aquem area as well as train passengers sounded critical of the state of affairs on the footbridge, demanding
that the KRC give a facelift to the bridge by getting rid of the stray dogs as well as
unknown persons making the bridge their second home.
