Herald 27/7/2011 SURAJ NANDREKAR
CALANGUTE: The Goa police have done it again. They have once again washed their hands off of the flourishing drugs and prostitution trade in the northern belt and put the onus on the village panchayats to tackle the menace Herald had exposed the letter by the DySP PL Mapari last week asking the Calangute village panchayat to revoke the licences of the dance bars and the night clubs. And again on 19/7/2011, Mapari has written a letter to same village panchayats to now revoke licences of the massage parlours. Incidentally, Mapari's letter says that he has initiated this action following the letter by Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes to the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat. But in doing so, Mapari ignored the noting on the same letter by his direct boss, the DGP who asked the North Goa SP to conduct inquiry into this. On the letter written by Agnelo, the Director General of Police has clearly made a noting that "North Goa SP must conduct an inquiry into the issue and the honourble MLA be asked for specific info." Enquiries by Herald have revealed that nothing of this sort has been done by the North SP and the SDPO II (DySP) Mapusa PL Mapari has put the onus directly on Calangute panchayat to revoke licences. Secondly, the SDPO II Mapusa needs to know that the licences or permits for the massage parlours in Goa are given by the health departments and not the village panchayats. The Department of Health Services Notification dated July 29, 2010, states "All massage parlours functioning in the state on the date of coming into force of the Goa Public Health (Amendment Rules) 2010, shall get themselves registered with Directorate of Health Services within six months of commencements of these rule." When contacted Calangute panch Joseph Sequeira, questioned the timing and legality of the police letter. "Agnelo has suddenly woken up as the election bells are ringing now and he knows people will question him this time," Joseph said. He then asked "if they have specific info why don't they act and raid the places?" "If Agnelo has so much information why can't he being a ruling MLA not act against these joints? Who is stopping him?" Joseph asked. (su...@herald-goa.com)
