Karnataka   

Goa seeks Central aid to modernise police force

PANAJI: Faced with the raging controversy over the safety of tourists, particularly foreign visitors, on its beaches, the Goa government has sought major Central assistance for modernisation of its police force, specifically to strengthen its tourist police wing.

Simultaneously, the coastal State has mooted a police unit to undertake “beach policing” on a priority basis across its 106-km coastline.

Talking to presspersons here on Wednesday after his return from New Delhi where he had gone to finalise the State’s 2008-09 annual plan, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat declared that he had meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia where he discussed the issue of modernising Goa’s police force and tourism-related security force and got assurances of complete assistance in this regard.

“The Prime Minister emphasised the need for retaining Goa’s image and was keen to help Goa remain a peaceful and reputed international tourist destination,” said Mr. Kamat.

Later, during his meeting with the Union Home Minister, Mr. Kamat was reportedly promised all assistance to modernise the police force in different categories, including marine police, coastal police and tourist police.

Mr. Kamat quoted the Home Minister as saying, “Goa will be treated as a special State in this case.”

Parrying a direct reply to a question over Goa Home Minister’s recent statement regarding the government’s plans to move the Centre to deny extension of visa to Fiona MacKeown, mother of British teenager who died in mysterious circumstances, the Chief Minister reiterated his stand that the government’s priority was to go to the root of the case and give justice to the mother.

“We have taken action when lapses were noticed and after I said we will crack the case in 48 hours, the police have made arrests,” Mr. Kamat asserted.

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