Title - No security in executive coaches, courtesy staff crunch

Chandigarh:
Despite paying more to travel in an executive class safely, one is not getting proper security services while travelling from Chandigarh-bound trains as the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has not deployed any guards in the executive coaches due to staff shortage. But in general coaches, the authorities have deployed small teams of RPF staff to ensure the safety of the passengers.Railways records stated that 180 posts, of the total 815 RPF staff sanctioned for this area, had been vacant for the more than past one year. Thus, ticket travel examiners (TTs) and the attendants had been asked to keep a check on the security of the passengers and monitor the movement of the anti-social elements in executive coaches of the trains.The authorities have deployed four RPF personnel for the safety of the passengers in the general coaches as the chances of mishap are more in such coaches.

Railway Senior Divisional Security Commissioner Mohinder Singh said the proposal for filing the vacant posts of the RPF had been sent to the Northern Railways authorities. The decision to recruit the staff would be taken by them.

He accepted the fact that the authorities concerned could not able to provide proper security in many trains due to staff crunch.

Raliways reports state that there was shortage of over 20 per cent of staff in the RPF in the security wing of the Ambala division. About 19 to 22 coaches of the long route trains were the most affected as there were only four RPF personnel to manage security in these coaches.