Panaji : Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah chaired a high-level review meeting on issues concerning Goa in Panaji on Monday. Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant and senior officials from the Centre and the state participated in the meeting.
The meeting was attended by the Union Home Secretary, Director of the Intelligence Bureau, and senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Goa Government, Indian Coast Guard and other concerned agencies.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and Director General of Police briefed Amit Shah on key law-and-order and security issues in the state. Discussions covered the implementation of the three new criminal laws, matters related to the NDPS Act, coastal security, fugitives, disaster management, police modernisation, enemy properties, and the deportation of illegal migrants, particularly those involved in crime, narcotics and drug-related offences.
Shah appreciated the initiatives undertaken by the Goa Government and state police to strengthen law and order and coastal security. He said these efforts had contributed to Goa’s progress towards becoming “Nasha Mukt” and to tackling cybercrime effectively.
The Home Minister called for a comprehensive assessment of emerging security challenges and stressed the need for continuous monitoring of crime trends and patterns, links between different types of criminal activity, the inter-state movement of criminals and coastal security.
He directed the state government and all stakeholders to ensure that Goa emerges as one of the best-performing states in the country in terms of law and order.
Shah also reiterated that the Modi Government is committed to providing smaller states with full support and professional assistance in administration, capacity building and development to help achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Highlighting Goa’s potential, Shah said the state could become a model state for the country by achieving its targets in both security and development. He described Goa as capable of becoming “भारत माता के माथे की बिंदिया”.
Officials informed the Home Minister that violent crime in Goa has been showing a declining trend, although cybercrime, narcotics-related offences and violations involving foreign nationals continue to require strict action.
The Goa DGP said the state government has adopted a comprehensive approach to strengthening coastal security, tackling cybercrime and combating narcotics-related offences.
The DGP further informed the meeting that following the implementation of the three new criminal laws and the effective use of the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS), Goa’s conviction rate has increased from 22% to 53%. In several cases, courts are now able to dispose of criminal matters within six to eight months.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured Shah that the Goa Government would work under his guidance and maintain close coordination with the Central Government to transform Goa into a model state across all sectors.