Amresh Parab | Panaji
The state has recorded over a 49 per cent drop in traffic violations in the last ten months compared to the same period last year, reportedly due to a reduced number of challaning officers.
In 2024, from January to October, police had booked 3,55,063 traffic violation cases, while this year during the same period, they booked 1,80,412 cases.
Referring to the reduction, a senior police officer said that the state government in April authorised only police inspectors (PIs) and police sub-inspectors (PSIs) to issue challans for traffic violations. As such, since April there has been a sharp decline in cases.
Earlier, head constables (HCs) and assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) were also authorised to issue challans. The decision to restrict powers to PIs and PSIs resulted in fewer bookings.
On April 4, the government, seeking to provide relief to locals and tourists from allegations of police harassment, decided that only PIs and PSIs would issue challans for traffic rule violations.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had said that only police inspectors would be allowed to issue challans during the daytime, while inspectors and PSIs were permitted to issue challans at night. The government later allowed PSIs to issue challans during the day as well.
Sawant had said that this would stop harassment of locals and tourists and eliminate bribery allegations against police officers. Sawant had also said that if police personnel other than inspectors and sub-inspectors issued challans, affected people could click photos of the officers and send them to the police department. “No official of the rank of constable, head constable or assistant sub-inspector will be eligible to issue challans. We will suspend such police personnel asking for money for traffic violations,” Sawant had said.
