Rlys to install high-tech security system

The move comes in the backdrop of the increased number of Maoist attacks on the railways, which doubled in 2009 when compared with 2008.The installation of Integrated Security Systems at railway stations will cost Rs 353 crore.  In written replies to Parliament, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and her ministerial colleagues informed that selected Railway Police Force (RPF) staff are undergoing commando training to deal with insurgent attacks. The sniffer dog squads in railway divisions and zones are also being augmented. The ministry stated that in 2008, the number of attacks by miscreants was 30. In 2009, it increased to 58. However in 2007, the number of such attacks was 56.

The incidents of miscreant attacks on the railways have mainly been reported from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa and Chhattisgarh. The Integrated Security System consists of CCTV surveillance system, access control system, personal and baggage screening system and bomb detection and disposal system. The strength of the RPF is also being augmented and 5,134 new posts have been sanctioned.