Traffic violation informers win car, bike, Rs 67.42 lakh in Goa

PANAJI: Goa Police's traffic violation informants, who have volunteered for the controversial 'traffic sentinel scheme', have won a car, motorcycle as well as nearly Rs 67.42 lakh in incentives, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Goa legislative assembly in a written reply on Thursday.

The response comes at a time when both the ruling and opposition MLAs have demanded a discussion in the state assembly on Director General of Police Muktesh Chander's pet 'traffic sentinel scheme', even as several traffic sentinels have been beaten up in public by irate commuters for taking photographs of traffic violations in different parts of Goa over the last few weeks.

"Till date an amount of Rs 11,92,000 has already been disbursed amongst 78 traffic sentinels who have accumulated 100 or more points. Further, the process of disbursement of an amount of Rs 55,50,000 to 206 eligible traffic sentinels is in progress," Parrikar said in response to a question from Congress MLA Digambar Kamat.

"Further, a bumper draw was also held wherein two lucky traffic sentinels were awarded a Maruti Alto K-10 car and a Hero Achiever motorcycle," Parrikar said.

The Chief Minister said the scheme was notified by the state government in order to inculcate road discipline among road users and to promote community policing.

Both the ruling as well as the opposition MLAs have criticised the scheme, which they say has encouraged people to spy on one another and report even minor traffic violations.

At a press conference earlier this month, DGP Chander had announced that in 2018 Goa Police prosecuted 7.74 lakh traffic violators; a number which is more than half the state's population of 14.59 lakh.