VASCO
DGP Indra Dev Shukla on Monday said police personnel deployed for election duty in other states would return back to the State by Tuesday well on time to cast their votes.
Shukla said police staff had to leave for Uttar Pradesh on February 15, a day after elections in Goa, as per orders of the Home Ministry.
"Around 950 police personnel had left Goa and after a few days of duty, they said that they wanted to come to Goa to cast their votes through postal ballot. We cannot send postal ballots from Goa to UP as it could lead to allegations and we also received requests through emails. We then even gave an option of sending staff from here who had already cast their votes," said DGP Shukla.
Shukla said the police staff deployed in other states would arrive in Goa by Tuesday.
"I sympathise with the police staff who are undergoing a tedious journey travelling all the way from the other states by a bus, but a policeman’s life is never easy.”
“As of now, their bus has reached near Shirdi and will be in Pune by Monday evening. This staff will arrive in Goa by Tuesday. The last day to cast postal ballots is on Wednesday and these staff will be able to cast their votes before the last date," said Shukla.
"Sometimes the police may have to face some tough situations and travel long journeys, but the life of a policeman is never easy. Some staff requested us to allow them make their own travel arrangements and we agreed and some staff are flying back, while some others are coming by train and others are coming by the bus.”
“The programme of these police staff returning to Goa was so tight that we could not make any other arrangements for their return journey. The Goa Police have done a fantastic job in the interiors of the other states and even worked on election booths," said DGP Shukla.
