Promises made after 7/11 are yet to see the light of day
Promises made after 7/11 are yet to see the light of day
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Had it not been for the 26/11 terror attacks, all the promises made by the Railways and state government in the aftermath of the 7/11 train blasts would have been swept under the carpet. MiD DAY brings you the status of the promises made by the Railways and the state government.
After the 7/11 attacks in 2006, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of the Central Railway had asked for close to 1,600 RPF personnel to guard the suburban stations. While on the other hand, the Western Railways demanded for 1,104 personnel, and the Government Railway Police (GRP) had requested for 1,000 additional men from the state government.
Status: Two years after the blasts, the Railway Board has not sanctioned any additional personnel for the Central or Western Railways. While officials at the railway board claim that the proposals are being expedited, the guards are stressed and heavily burdened. Of the GRP's demand for 1,000, all that they got from the state government were eight men last year.
>> Composite security plan
A national committee for formulating a composite security plan for the railways was set up. The committee had representatives from various security agencies, including the zonal RPF heads from Mumbai. The committee also had four sub-committees to examine various issues. Besides, local level committees were also formed.
Status: The latest update is that the railways have decided to implement a new integrated security plan based on a BOOT (Build Own Operate and Transfer) model on the recommendations of the committee.
>> Joint policing
The state government and the then Director General of Police had spelt out the need for integrating the GRP Commissionerate with the Mumbai City Police.
Status: Red tape and opposition from certain officials ensured that the proposal was never implemented.
MiD DAY says
The only visible improvements on the ground are the door-frame metal detectors, hand-held metal detectors and the CCTV cameras in all suburban stations. Besides, the visibility of armed personnel posted at stations post 26/11.
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