PANAJI
As scarcity of personnel across several police stations has largely marred the overall functioning, there’s a distinct contrast with the Security Unit of the Goa Police, which appears to have been accorded an “exceptional” status.
The total number of Police Inspectors (PIs), Sub Inspectors (SIs) and Assistant SIs posted in this Unit surpasses the sanctioned number while ironically constables are in acute shortage. This has resulted in over 50 per cent of excess personnel without any substantive tasks and responsibilities.
Department sources revealed to The Goan that the sanctioned staff strength has remained unchanged for several years, raising questions about the absence of necessary upgrades. But even though the situation prevails across police stations, there’s a swift and noticeable pattern of relocation of PIs to the Security Unit only.
On the other hand, 13 PSIs and 54 ASIs are mostly promotees. “The PSIs and ASIs were promoted while being in the same unit. They have not experienced reassignment in their new capacities till date,” a senior official lamented.
Currently, a total of eight PIs have been deployed at crucial locations including the Legislative Assembly complex, Raj Bhavan and the High Court of Bombay at Goa whereas the remaining officers have reportedly found themselves largely inactive within the Unit.
Despite this, the department executed the transfers of three more PIs from the Indian Reserve Battalion, this month, to assume the roles of ‘supervisory officers’.
As per the August 9 order issued by the then IRB Commandant Akshat Kaushal, PI Ramkrishna Parab was transferred from IRB Camp Wagheri to High Court, PI Sakharam Parab to New Assembly Complex at Porvorim from IRB Camp Kadamba and PI Sachin Gawas was relocated to Raj Bhavan from Tourist Police Unit. The transfer to ‘supervisory officer duties’ was to ‘streamline the functioning’ of IRB deployed at the three highly-secured places.
Among the PIs from the Goa Police, Sanjay Dalvi is performing his duty at the Assembly complex, Dattaguru Sawant at HC and Vijay Chodankar is posted at Raj Bhavan. “Most of the officers are almost idle. Some of them have been tasked with responsibilities of the HCs and constables. While there are multiple transfers to this unit, the constables, who are actually needed to perform duty on the field, are lacking. Police headquarters cannot justify these transfers,” the official said, indicating the ‘non-favourite lots’ are assigned to this Unit.
