Quepem police station functioning sans PI

MARGAO: The Quepem police station has been managing its affairs without a full time police inspector to head the station for over three months now. This is despite the fact that a sub-divisional office of the South Goa police is also located within its jurisdiction.
Ever since the erstwhile police inspector in charge of the Quepem police station, Santosh Desai, was shunted to Margao during the recent reshuffle, the charge of the Quepem police station has been held by Curchorem PI Nilesh Rane.An official of the rank of the PSI thus virtually heads the Quepem police station - a situation that has called into question the failure of the police in appointing a regular official of the rank of a police inspector.
The issue assumes significance in the light of the fact that Quepem has seen several agitations over anti-mining issues that had led to law and order problems in the past. More recently, the police has also had to lathi charge villagers at Ambaulim after they blocked roads in protest of mining transportation through the village.
Residents have now threatened to forcibly stop the movement of mining trucks through Quepem as and when they resumes transportation. Mining traffic through Quepem is yet to resume ever since it took a break during the monsoon.
Former chairperson and current councilor of the Quepem Municipal Council, Raul Pereira has demanded that a police inspector be appointed at the Quepem police station to instill confidence among the public over security concerns. "Justice and prudence demands that Quepem gets a full time police inspector at the earliest," Pereira told TOI.