POLICE GEAR UP FOR GANESH FESTIVITIES, STAFF LEAVES CANCELLED

To provide full proof security during the Ganesh festival, Goa Police have cancelled all types of leave for its entire force in the state during the festival, especially after a bomb blast on Diwali eve in Margao last year.

During the festival time there is a reverse migration from the urban centres. People leave their hectic urban lives and rush back to their villages where they belong. The superintendent of police, special branch, Atmaram Deshpande said that to provide security during this period, the department has decided to ban leave of its entire force. “Our attempt is to make sure that there is patrolling maintained day and night. We have asked most of our policeman not to proceed on leave and the entire police force will be deployed and will be at the public service. So we hope this whole period will be incident free”.

Urban centres at Panjim and Mapuca will appear deserted for five days beginning Saturday with most of the shops closed with only a few restaurants remaining open. Police has appealed to the people not to leave any gold and diamond jewellery and cash in the house, when they leave the place. “As far as Ganesh Chathurti’s and people leaving and going for vacations etc is concerned, I would only request them to make sure that they are not keeping any valuables at home. They should make sure they are strengthening their security alarms if they have any electronic alarms at home, they should make they are functional. Batteries etc required should be changed and make sure that the electronic alarms are functioning. Rails, doors, locks all should be checked for strength and that they are not to be broken easily and also make sure that they inform the nearest police station of their departure informing of their contact numbers if the mobiles are not available in the particular places they are going then the nearest land line from where they can be contacted and leave behind their address by which the local police will be able to maintain patrolling in that particular area day and night” said Mr. Deshpande.

As ,many as hundred odd public Ganesh utsav mandals installed larger than life size idols at various places, specially bus stand, gardens or markets, Mr. Deshpande said that the police have tightened security around such idols.