Lawmakers discuss reforms for police, restoration of roads
Ruling and opposition MLAs discussed issues ranging from delayed projects of the art and culture department to urgent police modernisation needs, and the restoration of bad roads, all of which come under departments handled by chief minister Pramod Sawant.
Nilesh Cabral questioned govt's delay in laying the foundation stone for a new library building at Curchorem. He demanded that the construction begin this year.
Krishna Salkar demanded that Ganesh Chaturthi be declared a state festival.
Several MLAs stressed the need for police reforms. Salkar advocated for modernising the force with advanced crime prevention and detection equipment. He and Venzy Viegas supported merging the IRBn with Goa police to address staff shortages.
Govind Gaude, drawing from personal experience of spending 62 days in prison, pointed to systemic issues in jails. He demanded that release timings for prisoners be extended beyond the current restriction of 6pm to facilitate the immediate release of prisoners upon the completion of formalities.
Vijai Sardesai criticised the criminal justice system, pointing to poor conviction rates in drug cases. He also flagged the abysmal conviction rates and high acquittal rates in rape cases, calling for fast-track courts.
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Sardesai accused police of targeting activists protecting Goa's interests. He cited cases foisted on them and demanded the withdrawal of all such cases. He further presented video evidence from a sting operation, exposing live offshore casino gaming at several locations.
Opposition leader Yuri Alemao demanded urgent and progressive reforms for the prosecution department. On the PWD, Viegas demanded immediate pothole repairs and road restoration after the completion of sewerage works. Alemao said 16,000 complaints have been logged on the PWD app, yet no contractor has been blacklisted.
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