13 August,2015 03:10 PM IST | | Shashank Rao
The Railways has already began processing and getting new staff to secure railways across the country; the Mumbai division of Central and Western Railways would be getting over 1,000 men and women in khaki
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) can no longer give lack of staff as a reason for the crimes happening on railway premises. At a time when women's security is a prime concern, especially at railway stations and inside local trains, finally there is some good news as additional staff would be joining the force in large numbers.
The railways has already begun processing and getting new staff to secure railways across the country by training and introducing over 17,000 constables and inspectors in the force. File pic
The Indian Railways has already began processing and getting new staff to secure railways across the country by training and introducing over 17,000 constables and inspectors in the force. Out of these, the Mumbai division of Central and Western Railways would be getting over 1,000 men and women in khaki.
For instance the Central Railway (CR) will be getting 600 new recruits, who according to sources have begun joining the forces here. Presently there are around 1,600 total staff members of RPF on CR and there is a shortfall of around 800 staff.
"These people have undergone training and will join soon," said Sachin Bhalode, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner (Mumbai), CR. These staff were being trained for almost 6 months now and sources said that it's been nearly 5 years that there has been a shortfall in staff required.
Officers added
that these additional recruits would be sent inside long distance trains apart from manning the tracks, rail yards and local trains. Meanwhile, Western Railway (WR) would also be getting more men before August end. "We will be getting around 600 men who would be posted at several stations and trains," said Anand Vijay Jha, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner (Mumbai), WR.
Sources said that these men will be posted at areas where the cases of thefts of cables and wires are rampant. These thefts affect the working of local trains as signals go on the blink when cables and wires are stolen. The WR has the capacity of holding around 2,000 RPF men but only have 1,200 RPF personnel.
