Rise in train robberies
Reasons attributed to RPF staff crunch
- 80 posts vacant in Secunderabad division
- GRP in Vijayawada makes headway in crime control
The recent spurt in crimes in trains and in railway premises in the jurisdiction of the Government Railway Police (GRP) highlights the dismal security scenario, besides creating a sense of insecurity among commuters
Victor Rao
Trains have been always a soft target for robbers in the State. It becomes all the more easy for them if the entry and exit points of the railway stations are porous and without proper security apparatus. No wonder, in several cases the offenders have been able to strike at will and escape with their booty without leaving any trace of their crimes.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) have been flooded with complaints, but few of them go past investigations, while most of them quietly fade into oblivion. The modus operandi of robbers suggests they have an upper hand over the police and can outwit traditional approaches of the police.
The Railway police had drawn flak from all quarters following the increase in train robberies. The recent spurt in crimes in trains and in railway premises in the jurisdiction of the Government Railway Police (GRP) highlights the dismal security scenario, besides creating a sense of insecurity among commuters. Due to dearth of manpower and ill-equipped personnel, the complaints registered by helpless passengers remain just on paper and no suitable action is taken.
Although the Railways has already introduced the Integrated Security System (ISS) at some stations which is expected to cover nearly 200 stations by next year, the apprehension is that the manpower shortage will prove to be a hindrance in the functioning of the system.
An internal assessment by the RPF says the force strength should be around three lakh in the country, but as of now the sanctioned strength stands at only 75,000. Even this requirement is not met as there are more than 14,000 vacancies. The impact of the dearth of RPF personnel is being felt rather proportionately on both the South Central Railway and the South Eastern Railway. So far the GRP strength is concerned, the Vijayawada division has only 618 personnel as part of its operations as against the actual requirement of 889. There was a marked improvement in the combative strength of the GRP in the division during the past two years. There were only 265 personnel working in the GRP in the division by April 2011.
There are a few divisions within the South Central Railway (SCR) which had geared up to curb these offences to some extent and proved to be successful in nabbing the perpetrators to a major extent. Both the Secunderabad and Vijayawada divisions have made significant headway in this direction. They did a commendable job in improving services and controlling theft. Still a few other divisions need to match up with their counterparts.
Secunderabad (GRP) Superintendent, M Kanta Rao said that , “Shortage of staff in the GRP and over 80 vacancies in the Railway Protection Force (RPF) affect vigilance. Steps are being taken to increase the force. The co-ordination between RPF and GRP officials is required in areas such as registering complaints, joint escorting of vulnerable express trains, joint patrolling of sabotage prone areas, combined training course to RPF and GRP personnel, strengthening the GRP setup in Railway stations, etc.”
The SP of Secunderabad division said that GRP staff of the division had been provided with dragon searchlights and weapons with instructions to open fire at fleeing criminals.
When asked about awareness among passengers, he said, “We are screening advertisements and documentaries to educate passengers on all platforms of Secunderabad Railway stations on different types of robberies. Foolproof security arrangements are made at every exit and entry points.”
Vijayawada (GRP) Superintendent, Dr Ch Syam Prasad Rao, whose jurisdiction extends over nine districts from Vijayawada to Ichchapuram shares how the division brought about the complete changeover in Vijayawada.
Referring to a query on the crime prone areas in the division, he says, “Guntur to Tenali, similarly Tenali to Bapatla, Bhimavaram to Nidadvolu, Narsapur, Rajahmundry are the areas where we nabbed accused operating from Bihar and Haryana and recovered around five kilograms of gold within the last four months.”
He explained about the expansion of ISS, opening of helpline phones, baggage tags, maintaining the antecedence of contract staff working in the trains and putting up fencing at areas prone to trespassing but he too is quite apprehensive about the present strength.
“Cases of crime registered and investigated by the GRP in running trains and on railway premises across these areas have increased by nearly 29 per cent during January to March this year as compared to the same period last year,” he further explained. “Not even a single case of snatching or robbery on trains was reported this year in Vijayawada. Last year, 30 cases of chain-snatchings were reported. Most of these cases occur during the hot summer months,” the SP of Vijayawada said.
