PANAJI: Mr Shantaram Naik, Rajya Sabha MP and AICC secretary, who visited Chandor on Saturday to inspect the sites where idols and statues were desecrated recently, said that government should constitute village-wise civil defence committees under Civil Defence Act, 1968.

Mr Naik after visiting the Church of Lady of Betlem at Chandor and other sites said that civilians will have to put in efforts to protect their villages and also play a crucial role to the extent possible in nabbing the culprits.
He said that in today’s scenario efforts of the police machinery have to be supplemented by civilians due to the limited number of police force in the state.
He said that government has to procure modern scientific equipment from the Centre to investigate crimes in the state committed by advanced criminals.
Mr Naik said that incidents of desecration have been taking place since 2004, without police getting any clue or even motive, leave alone breakthrough in nabbing the culprits and therefore emphasised the need for seeking assistance from neighbouring states and their expertise to crack these cases.
During his visit, he found that three statues placed in the grotto, in the property of the Church of Our Lady of Betlem at Chandor, an altar in the cemetery and also a cross and a band stand which had an anchor with a cross atop and a memorial destroyed.
Further at Gudi, two kilometres away from the Chandor church, the miscreants had destroyed a ‘khuris’.
Mr Naik was accompanied by Mr Altinho Gomes, general secretary of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee, Fr Saude Pereira, parish priest of the church, Fr Damasiano Mascaranhas, assistant parish priest, Mr Agnelo Fernandes, moderator, parish council, Mr Caitano Antao and Mr Anthony Dias, both members of parish council, Ms Suzana Dias, deputy sarpanch of village panchayat, Chandor, Ms Marina Mendes, Mr Augustinho Antao, ex-sarpanch of Gurdolim and Mr Ismail Gazipur, a local.