To keep Goa safe, cops to check offices, public places

PANAJI: Goa police has decided to conduct random checks at government offices, shops and public places and act against those who do not wear masks and follow social distancing norms.
Inspector general of police Jaspal Singh said that social distancing and wearing of masks are crucial to prevent Covid-19 spread. “We need to ensure that people observe the laid norms within the respective jurisdictions of outposts, police stations, offices of sub-divisional police officers besides district and unit offices.”
“As part of our job, we should randomly go to shops and see whether the norms are implemented,” he said in a message to officers.
“We also need to check whether business establishments are operating with 50% staff or crowding their shops with their own staff,” he said.
“We can even visit government offices and advise the staff to honour these norms. We need to tell everyone that they should make it a habit to wear masks. This will help us keep Goa in the green zone,” he said.
As of date, Goa police has registered over 39,000 lockdown violations including 682 first information reports (FIRs), 29,079 challans under Motor Vehicle Act, 5,473 for spitting in public places and 3,718 for not wearing masks.
Cases are being booked against those moving around villages and towns without permission of the concerned authorities besides shopkeepers for keeping their stores open ignoring government orders.
Police patrolling has been intensified all over the state, and pickets have been set up at existing patrolling points. Traffic personnel have been deployed along with the district police at strategic checkpoints.
Singh had advised people that activities such as cultural, religious and political nature will continue to remain under prohibition and they should not venture out unnecessarily. This, he said was as per the directions of the ministry of home affairs (MHA).
Singh had said his officers have observed that people start gathering and protest about “small issues to which the police has to respond”.
He had also said that people have co-operated with his force in enforcing the lockdown, but a few groups have tried to exploit the crisis for their own ends, which have been appropriately dealt with. “People are advised not to gather and invite legal action by violating lockdown between 7pm and 7 am,” Singh had said.