Security Panel Stresses Safety Of Railway Passengers

Bhubaneswar: The fourth meeting of the State Level Security Committee for Railways on Wednesday discussed measures for the safety of passengers.

Talking to mediapersons after the meeting presided over by Director General of Police (DGP) R.P. Sharma at his camp office here, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Railways & Coastal Security, Pranabindu Acharya said the safety and security of railway passengers and properties, law and order situation, crime scenario, sabotage, disaster management, Left Wing Extremist (LWE) activities and other relevant issues relating to security of railways were discussed at the meeting.

He said it was decided to create a WhatsApp group, which will include both the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) staff under administration of the Superintendent Railway Police (SRP) of Rourkela and Cuttack to share intelligence relating to transportation of narcotic  drugs and psychotic substance, unauthorised transportation of livestock, human trafficking, transportation of valuable metals like gold, silver etc. as well as any crime and law and order situation.

Details of the case related to Rail Roko, which are now being registered by the RPF, should be shared with the concerned government railway police stations (GRPSs). “Priority was given to the deployment of train guards in various crime-prone night plying trains and supply of CUG mobiles to them. During any bandh, joint efforts will be taken by the GRP, RPF and railway authorities to diffuse the situation well in advance. Apart from this, orientation training shall be given to both RPF and GRP personnel to deal with LWE activities,” Acharya said.

He also said that railway officials present at the meeting informed that all railway stations will be provided with adequate CCTV cameras and baggage scanners very soon. RPF officials also informed that CCTV cameras have been installed inside the coaches in some of the superfast trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi, while efforts are on to install them in other trains.

The ADG further said that it was decided at the meeting to take initiative for inter-state transfer of Zero FIR cases directly to the concerned police station under intimation to the Superintendent of police (SP) and the SRP.

“Railway authorities were requested to take steps for the improvement of infrastructure facilities of GRP including construction and repair of official and residential buildings. Besides, as per the notification of the state Home Department, the territorial jurisdiction of both the GRP districts have been reorganised and accordingly, the concerned GRP district will send their proposals for changing the area jurisdiction of different GRPs,” the ADG added.

Joint Deputy Director, Special Intelligence Branch (SIB), Odisha, P.K. Sethy; IG, RPF-cum- PCSC (Principal Chief Security Commissioner), East Coast Railway, Bhubaneswar Atul Patnaik; IG, RPF-cum-PCSC, South Eastern Railway (SER), Garden Reach, Kolkata S.C. Parhi; IG, RPF-cum-PCSC, South East Central (SEC) Railway, Bilaspur, R.S. Chouhan; SRP Rourkela, A.P. Swain and In-Charge SRP, Cuttack R.N. Mahapatra were present at the meeting.