11 May,2011 07:51 AM IST | | Vedika Chaubey
The Western Railway is finalising plans to purchase and train its own dog squad, which will be deployed at various stations to ensure better security for passengers
Security measures adopted by Western Railway (WR) is going to the dogs, but in a good way. The body has finally decided to purchase its exclusive dog squad. The body was earlier in the habit of hiring dogs on rent, but as the custom proved to be a costly one, it has now decided to own the dogs that it trains. The Central Railway (CR) had already taken this initiative last year, and is in the process of training the 17 puppies that were purchased in March earlier this year.
Doggone: The Central Railway is in the process of training the 17
puppies that were purchased in March earlier this year. File Pic
According to a senior Railway Protection Force (RPF) official, the dogs hired by the RPF earlier were exerting a great strain on the budget. On an average, a single dog was being paid nearly Rs 25,000 a month. "At present, we have 18 dogs on hire in WR. The costs for hiring dogs are exponential. Additionally, all the costs for their nourishment and sustenance have to be borne by us. The dogs also need individual trainers to give them constant company," he said. The authorities are yet to decide on the number of dogs that they will be purchasing. They are also undecided over which breed of dogs to induct into their league. "We are yet to decide whether to rope in dogs or puppies. We are in favour of puppies, as it will be easier to train them," the official added.
The primary intention behind this purchase is to have a permanent squad of trained dogs at the disposal of the WR, and to secure almost all the railway stations with their help. At present, the WR will be retaining the pack of 18 hired dogs.u00a0 By the time the contract for these dogs expires, the RPF-owned canine staff will have completed their training, and be ready for deployment at various stations. Sharat Chandrayan, Chief PRO, WR, said, "We are trying to increase the strength of our dog squad for the purpose of better security. We are using our own resources to purchase an adequate number of dogs."
Cr's canine squad
The CR has added a squad of 17 puppies that will be deployed at different railway stations like CST, Dadar, Thane, LTT, Kalyan and others after training. These canine guards were purchased in March, when they were each two months old. The CR already has an existing squad of 14 dogs. Each puppy has a personal trainer who will accompany the canine on the training stint. A Labrador costs Rs 12,000, while a Doberman costs Rs 15,000. Following purchase, monthly expenses come to nearly Rs 5,000 each.
