Reiterating a controversial stance previously voiced in 2023, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stated on Tuesday that more than 90% of criminal offenses in the state are perpetrated by outsiders.
Addressing the Legislative Assembly during Zero Hour amid a debate on local law and order, Sawant argued that public awareness is vital for crime prevention. Emphasizing the government’s security strategy, he urged citizens to exercise caution.
“First and among the foremost things that the police department has done is verification of labourers and tenants. Nobody should rent their homes to unknown persons, without having their antecedents verified by the police, said Sawant.
Elaborating on the demographic factor in local crime statistics, the Chief Minister added, People come here for work in large numbers and then they get involved in robberies, rapes, dacoities If you examine the crimes committed in Goa, then more than 90% is due to migrants. I am saying it again. More than 90% [crime] is due to migrants. Which is why we are stressing on tenant and labour verification.
The discussion was initiated by Revolutionary Goans Party MLA Viresh Borkar, who charged the administration with failing to control a rising crime wave over the past three years. Pointing to high-profile incidentssuch as a casino director’s shooting and illicit drug networks inside Colvale jailBorkar highlighted a stark disparity in the justice system: while the Goa Police boast a crime detection rate of 98.92%, the actual conviction rate languishes at just 5.85%. He also questioned why the state has been slow to expand its CCTV surveillance network.
Sawants latest remarks echo past statements linking demographic shifts to criminal activity. In 2024, he attributed rising scams and unlawful incidents directly to population influxes, citing a human trafficking rescue operation where a local woman was duped with false promises of overseas employment. His assertion that migrant workers account for 90% of state offenses nearly mirrors identical remarks he made in 2023.