JOIN USSecurity 'inadequate' at Rly stations
Many stations in the Division are in a state of “high vulnerability” presently, as a considerable chunk of its already woefully inadequate Railway Police Force (RPF) has been despatched to other railway stations to tackle agitations due to the raging Telangana crisis. On the other hand, the emergency security force, a 100-strong Railway Special Police Force (RSPF) at Bangalore, which was deputed to Jharkhand to provide security during the Assembly elections last month has been redeployed elsewhere on assignment.
According to a top security official, RPF personnel from Cantonment, Dharmapuri and Bangarpet railway stations have been temporarily relocated to the City railway station to beef up the security here.
“Around 80 people out of the 400-strong RPF force have been despatched to Kuppam and Hindupur railway stations in Andhra Pradesh as these portions fall within the Bangalore Division. “With our staff working on three shifts round-the-clock, we are struggling to manage with the limited resources,” he said.
Due to the heavy rush at the City station and the 72 pairs of trains passing through it on a daily basis, there is no option at hand but to concentrate the forces here, he added. “We are doing our best not to disturb the forces at Cantonment and Yeshwantpur railway stations,” the official said.
“The RSPF, which we had requested from the Centre to upgrade security in the Division is yet to return to the Division,” he lamented.
In terms of traffic, Bangalore City Station has now emerged on par with Chennai Central. “The tragedy is that Chennai Central alone has 1,700 police personnel. This is four times the security personnel present for the entire Bangalore Division,” he pointed out.
The Division’s security is now heavily dependent on surveillance cameras and sniffer dogs.
Meanwhile, the proposal sent to the Railway Board in New Delhi three months ago to provide 1,000 personnel to upgrade security at all stations in the State is yet to be approved.