PANAJI
Police are among the select few departments to receive a budgetary allocation exceeding Rs 1,000 crore with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant insisting on infrastructure improvements, including the construction of new police stations, annexe building and outposts, as well as the long-overdue upgrade of its headquarters.
However, the ambitious overhaul of the PHQ initially proposed nearly 7-8 years ago, remains a work in progress. While certain upgrades have been implemented, other vital units housed within the campus such as the Panaji police station, Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC), Women’s Police Station, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Economic Offenses Cell (EOC), the Motor Transport section among others continue to operate under existing circumstances.
In 2021, the government estimated Rs 60 crore for the renovation of the PHQ while fresh allocations are made again. The plan, as per the initial plan, included a three-story complex designed to accommodate offices of the Director General of Police, Inspector General of Police, Deputy Inspectors General of Police, 17 Superintendents of Police and 35 Deputy Superintendents. To resolve parking constraints, the plan introduced hydraulic parking facilities.
It had been a part of broader efforts to modernize Goa’s police force “ that remains unfulfilled so far. In 2017, then Chief Minister (late) Manohar Parrikar assured to undertake renovation, beautification and construction work at the PHQ. By 2021, logistical and equipment units began shifting out from certain offices/units, and the government set an ambitious eight-month deadline for completion. As of now, however, the project remains incomplete. The current Budget has earmarked Rs 45.62 crore for its execution.
Meanwhile, the new Old Goa Police Station, for which a foundation stone was laid in 2023 with a one-year completion promise, was conspicuously absent from budget discussions. Similarly, the budget omitted any mention of Goa’s malfunctioning traffic signals and AI-based surveillance cameras, many of which including the Merces signal, are non-operational.
