Panaji, Mar 2 (TOI): Former additional director intelligence bureau Pranab Nanda on Friday took over charge as the state’s director general of police (DGP) from former DGP Muktesh Chander.

Nanda, was welcomed with the guard of honour on his arrival at the police headquarters at Panaji. Speaking to reporters, Nanda said Goa is a global tourist destination and that safety and well-being of the people, including tourists, is of paramount importance. “We will be looking after that,” he said.

Former DGP Chander has been transferred to Delhi.

Nanda, a 1988-batch Indian Police Service officer, has had a long tenure with the intelligence bureau and has served in many places, including foreign countries.

He was in Goa as superintendent of police in 1991-92.

Goa police on Friday saw off the outgoing DGP with a ceremonial parade at the police headquarters.

Chander, in his last address to Goa police, said that during his tenure he tried to clear pending cases and that, as of date, only 1,500 cases remained to be cleared.

The former DGP said that a lot was done a lot to reduce traffic violations. In 2015, police issued 3.8 lakh challans to traffic violators, a number that went up to 8 lakh in 2018, Chander said, adding that action was taken against drunken driving, triple riding, overspeeding and riding without helmets, among others.

He credited the 21% drop in accident numbers last year to strict enforcement by police. Police of many other states have studied the traffic sentinel scheme he said.

“I hope they will also implement the scheme in their respective states,” he said, adding that the scheme should be continued and, if required, changes could be effected.

Stating that action was also against drugs, Chander said that while in 2015, 61 narcotics-related cases were booked, in 2018 the number increased to 222.

The former DGP said that there is a 58% increase in crimes committed by foreign nationals.