PANAJI: Rising crime and student dead have once again put the Goa government under scrutiny, with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant defending the state’s initiatives while the Opposition raised serious concerns over law and order.
CM Sawant told the Assembly that Goa’s crime detection rate has crossed 86 per cent, the highest in the country. The government has launched a preventive policing helpline to ensure police assistance within five minutes, strengthened manpower, and authorized PIs and PSIs to use body cams for issuing challans.
He urged citizens to verify tenants, servants, and caretakers through the police, emphasizing public cooperation in crime prevention.
On student welfare, the CM said the government is appointing counsellors in schools and colleges and updating mental health policies through the Goa Education Development Corporation. “Many students confide in counsellors rather than their parents,” he noted, citing strict guidelines issued after five suicide cases at BITS Pilani, which falls outside the state’s jurisdiction.
CM Sawant also addressed road safety, making helmets compulsory for riders and pillions following a Transport Department circular and highlighting rash driving cases, including the recent Divja Circle crash.
However, Opposition MLA Yuri Alemao raised the alarm over a rising trend in murders and rapes, stating, “Goa risks turning into the capital of murder if the government fails to act decisively.” CM Sawant responded that most rape cases involve known individuals, and that 163 cases in 2025 led to 212 arrests, underscoring that measures are in place to curb crime.
The CM also highlighted the government’s ongoing anti-drug campaigns aimed at making Goa drug-free by 2026, while ensuring the public that safety and mental health systems will continue to be strengthened.
