NT NETWORK
PANAJI
As many as 2290 persons went missing in the state in the last 42 months, and of which 428 persons are yet to be traced.
The information pertaining to the missing persons was provided in a written reply in the assembly by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to a question tabled by Margao MLA Digambar Kamat.
According to the data on the missing persons, from 2014 to 2017 (June 30) 2290 persons were reported missing, of which 1862 people have been traced while 428 remain untraced.
In 2014, 794 persons went missing, of which 665 have been traced and 129 persons have been untraced. In 2015, 660 persons went missing, 529 were traced and 131 people remain untraced.
In 2016, 564 people were reported missing, of which 463 have been traced while 101 people remain untraceable.
And in 2017 (till June), 272 people went missing, of which 205 have been traced while 67 persons have been untraceable.
The missing persons are in various age groups – from infant to senior citizens.
Giving details of the action initiated by the government to trace the missing persons, Parrikar said that upon receipt of complaint at the police station about the missing person, wireless message is flashed to all police stations in Goa and border check-post giving details of missing persons.
Furthermore lookout notice and combined input form of missing person along with the photograph and description is circulated to all police stations in Goa.
Inquiry is conducted in the neighbourhood, at the workplace, and with friends, acquaintances, relatives etc.
Photograph of the missing person is pasted at railway station, interstate bus stand and also through media. Beat and plainclothes police personnel are briefed about the missing person in order to collect reliable information from sources.
NGOs working in the field of child welfare are engaged in tracing the missing children and to counsel them, if traced, before handing over to the parents/guardians, Parrikar said.
