Goa police stations to sport QR code for public feedback

Panaji: Public facing hardship at police stations will be a thing of the past as all police stations across the state will have QR codes to take feedback from the public about the behaviour of the police personnel during their visit.

Goa police started using an app for better communication between international and domestic tourists, locals and its personnel.

Chief minister Pramod Sawant launched the Police Public Feedback QR system and the Bhashini Mobile App, developed by the ministry of electronics and information technology under the National Translation Mission.

“The Police Feedback QR codes will be placed outside every police station, enabling citizens to share their feedback directly. The feedback will be monitored by the police headquarters to drive continuous improvements and take necessary actions,” Sawant said.

“QR code feedback mechanism will help us assess the gaps in police response to citizens' grievances and accordingly fine-tune our responses to fill those gaps. It can also work like a barometer for the responsive quotient of a police station when a citizen visits it for any reason. Overall, it is aimed at fostering transparency and improving our responses,” director general of police (DGP) Alok Kumar said.

The Bhashini App, designed to facilitate translation across various Indian languages, is a vital tool for fostering effective communication among speakers of different languages across India. It was installed on all 54 mobile data terminals (MDTs) deployed with robots, highway patrol, and the Pink Force.

“Bhashini App was advocated to be used by police forces by PM during DG Conference. All units of Goa police which interact frequently with citizens have downloaded it and are using the app for better real-time communication with tourists and citizens who speak a language we don’t know. More than 2,600 police personnel downloaded it, including all PCR Vans,” Kumar said.

The CM instructed that all police personnel should download this app. “Goa is one of the first states to deploy this app extensively to improve communication with citizens and thus respond more promptly and effectively to help citizens,” Kumar said.

Sawant handed over appointment and promotion letters to home guards joining Goa police.