Another roadblock for Goa Police Bill, may not make it to House

Panaji: The Goa Police Bill may not be introduced in the budget session of the assembly as the home department has returned the draft bill to Goa police and directed them to submit it with the details of changes made.
State govt had directed Goa police to give a detailed presentation, but instead, police took back the bill to make changes. Thereafter, the bill was resubmitted to the home department, but due to a lack of clarity on the changes, the home department re-sent the bill to police for another submission, with both old and new changes.
“We are waiting for Goa police to resubmit the bill,” a senior govt officer said.
Police had submitted the draft Goa Police Bill to state govt for consideration, incorporating changes according to the three new criminal laws of the country. The draft Goa Police Bill, 2024, is now based on the Model Police Act framed by the Bureau of Police Research and Development of the Union home ministry.
The Police Act is meant to give statutory recognition to the police force and enable it to discharge its duties. It creates various ranks and specifies job descriptions for each rank. For many years now, Goa police have been submitting the draft of the bill to state govt, but for one reason or another, it has not been taken up in the assembly for discussion and passage.
“Pertinently, Goa police suffered several reversals in the past on account of a lack of authority to prepare history sheets of habitual offenders,” a senior police officer said. “Many states have enacted their Police Acts in conformance with the current realities.”
The draft Goa Police Bill provides for the constitution and organisation of the police service, police welfare and grievances redressal mechanism, police establishment boards, police accountability commission, and several other entities to deal with new and emerging challenges.
“Due to changes in the socio-political environment and the emergence of digital technologies, several new challenges have emerged. To tackle and provide for these challenges, a new Police Act is required,” the officer said.
Passing the police bill was one of the promises made by chief minister Pramod Sawant in his previous budget speech, which he is keen to fulfil.
The bill was initially introduced in 2009 and referred to a select committee headed by the then home minister Ravi Naik. As the bill was not passed and the assembly was dissolved in March 2012, the bill lapsed.