A two member bench of the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) headed by retired Justice U. V. Bakre and comprising of former District Judge Desmond D’Costa today adjourned to Tuesday 28th September further hearing on the complaint filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues over the proposed Sancoale Police Station.
When the matter came up for hearing today the South Goa SP Pankaj Kumar Singh in his written report submitted to the GHRC that it has now been decided to inaugurate next month the new Sancoale Police Station.
However Adv. Rodrigues submitted to the GHRC that the new Sancoale Police Station should be inaugurated only after all the formalities besides the required infrastructure and necessary amenities were in place, as that Police Station would have to cater to a very huge population of over 25,000 comprising residents of the Panchayats of Cortalim, Sancoale, Cansaulim-Arrosim-Cuelim and Velsao-Pale.
The Government had first attempted to inaugurate the police station earlier this year on February 27th which was local MLA Alina Saldanha’s birthday and then had planned it for August 15th.
Adv. Aires Rodrigues in his complaint to the GHRC had stated that the authorities were trying to hurriedly and haphazardly inaugurate the Sancoale Police Station at the old electricity department quarters which were abandoned for around two decades and in a very dilapidated condition.
Stating that this was in gross violation of the Human Rights of the staff and people who would visit the police station, Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint questioned as to how this very small premises would cater to a police force of 40 which is the minimum staff that would be required to run the Police Station.
Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint also stated that the authorities were acting unlawfully in breach of law as the setting up of a new police station needs to be first notified in the official gazette and the jurisdiction of the new police station has to be also specified in terms of Section 2(s) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Pointing out that the guidelines on setting up of Police stations laid down by the Bureau of Police Research and Development of the Ministry of Home Affairs had also not been adhered to, Adv. Rodrigues in his complaint expressed concern for the health and well being of the police staff besides the public that would be visiting the police station while their Human Rights would be brazenly violated.
