the goan I network
MARGAO
Trial in the heinous Betalbatim gang rape is set to begin from November 1, with the examination of the 20-year-old victim girl via video conferencing in the South Goa Sessions Court.
But the larger question remains unanswered – have the authorities put in place the safety measures at the Sunset beach at Betalbatim, where the victim girl was gang raped by the three Indore natives taking advantage of the secluded nature of the beach?
This question has come to the fore as it’s now four months since Betalbatim villagers headed by Sarpanch Constancio Miranda, local MLA Wilfred D’Sa, Zilla member Nelly Rodrigues and others had called on the then district Collector Anjali Sehrawat with a memorandum demanding safety measures, including beach illumination, CCTV surveillance, tab on migrants visiting the beach belt, clearance of bushes and vegetation by the Forest department et al.
While a lone Tourism official had assured the district Collector, South that the Tourism department will install illumination and CCTV surveillance cameras on the three beach belts of Betalbatim, including Sunset beach and the Lovers beach, which had earlier witnessed a gruesome murder of a Colva resident, the safety measures are either yet to fall in place or are moving at a slow pace.
Take for instance the erection of the high mast lamps along the Betalbatim beach belt. Though it’s now four months since the meeting of Betalbatim villagers had taken place on June 21, work on the illumination has just begun on the beach belt.
When The Goan called up Betalbatim Sarpanch Constancio Miranda to shed light on the steps initiated by the various government agencies along the beach belt, he pointed out that work on the installation of the high mast lamps has begun on the beach. “The work of installation of the high mast lamps at all the three beach spots at Betalbatim has begun. We expect work on the illumination to be complete at the earliest,” the Sarpanch said.
Constancio, however, said work on the CCTV surveillance cameras is yet to begin, saying that the panchayat will again pursue the matter with the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) officials. The tourism official had mooted the surveillance cameras at the Betalbatim stretch of the beach belt, which is dotted with trees and thick vegetation. Sources in the know, however, said that the surveillance cameras may fall in place on the beach belt before the year-end during the peak tourism season.
The erection of a gate at the entry point to the three beaches at Betalbatim has also not materialised. And, if sources in the know are to be believed, there was difference of opinion on the erection of entry gates to the three beach points, resulting in the gates not taking shape till date.
Betalbatim panchayat’s plan to issue identity cards to the migrants staying in the village too has come a cropper after the Goa police refused to part with information in respect of the tenant verification forms. The panchayat had initially planned to issue ID cards to all the migrants putting up in rented rooms, but the proposal could not take off after the Goa police point-blank refused to share the tenant verification with the local body.
Says Sarpanch Constancio: “Pending the implementation of the safety measures, the panchayat had installed boards right at the entrance to the beaches, warning visitors not to stay put on the beach late hours. We expect the various agencies to implement in both letter and spirit the safety measures approved by the then district Collector.”
Police say illumination will facilitate effective patrolling of beach belt
MARGAO: Colva police said that illumination of the Sunset beach and the Lovers beach at Betalbatim will facilitate effective patrolling of the beach belt and keep the anti-social elements at bay.
In fact, Colva police station in-charge, PI Filomeno D’Costa told The Goan that the illumination and the CCTV surveillance should be put in place on these two beaches at the earliest, saying that illumination will go a long way in assisting the men-in-uniform to effectively patrol the beach 24x7.
Post-gang rape, the Betalbatim beach belt is being manned by four policemen – two each during the morning and late evening session. “The evening session duties start at 7 pm and end at midnight. In addition, we have a PSI patrolling the beach belt along the Betalbatim-Majorda belt,” PI D’Costa said, adding that the illumination of the beach belt will go a long way in assisting the police to carry out effective patrolling of the beach belt.
