Panaji: With the monsoon session of the Goa legislative assembly possibly being the last session of the current term, Goa police submitted a revised draft Goa Police Bill to the home department.A senior govt official confirmed that the draft legislation has been received by the department and is currently under scrutiny. The department will examine its provisions and seek clarifications before forwarding it to govt for approval. Once cleared, the Bill can be introduced in the assembly.The home department had also asked Goa police to make a detailed presentation on the proposed reforms before the Bill was placed before govt. However, the police department is yet to make the presentation, a senior govt official said.“We have started the scrutiny of the Bill,” the official said, adding that the process of scrutiny and obtaining clarifications could take time and the assembly session may be over by then.Goa police has submitted the draft legislation after incorporating changes necessitated by the three new criminal laws enacted by Parliament. The draft Goa Police Act, 2024, is based on the Model Police Act prepared by the bureau of police research and development under the Union ministry of home affairs.“Pertinently, Goa police suffered several reverses in the past on account of a lack of authority to prepare history sheets of habitual offenders. In fact, many states enacted their police Acts in conformance with the current realities,” a senior police officer said.“Due to changes in the socio-political environment and the emergence of digital technologies, several new challenges emerged. To tackle and provide for these challenges, a new Police Act is required,” the officer said.
