Goa ministers using police to generate revenues: Congress

Panaji: Coming down heavily on the BJP government for using police in plain clothes to click photos of traffic violators to 'generate revenues', the state Congress alleged on Thursday that ministers have become clerks, who convene meetings only when problems occur.

Addressing a press conference here, Goa Congress General Secretary Vijay Bhike strongly condemned Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for the 'misusing' the police force against the people.

"The Chief Minister's recent brainwave to use plain clothes police and traffic department personnel armed with smart phones to click photos of traffic violators is a clear evidence of the government's anti people policies," he said.

"The roads are in bad condition. Highway works are going on at snail's pace. The departments are not functioning well and even ministers have become clerks. They convene meetings only when problems occur," Bhike said, as he expressed concern over the rising accidents in the state.

According to Bhike, ministers took meetings to implement measures only after accidents were on the rise.

He said that undercover operations are used against terrorists and dangerous criminals, not against ordinary citizens.

"This government is misusing the police force that should be stopped for which people need to oppose this move," he said.

"Targets are given to the police to impose fines on people to generate revenues, so that the government can organise events using that money," Bhike said.

"The recent Ramdev extravaganza is one such example of the BJP government's profligacy at the cost of the Goan taxpayers," Bhike said.

Rising cases of accidents have forced Goa police to resort to taking photographs of traffic violators on the roads. The police have so far spotted a number of traffic violators, who may soon receive challans from the traffic department.