Title - Security in holy city at God's mercy

VARANASI: Another incident of serial blasts was followed by sounding of alerts and the formalities of checking drives. After showing 'alertness' for a few hours, the officers of police and other forces returned to their den.The officials of the forces like Railway Protection Force (RPF) have no knowledge whether the files containing recommendations for the enhancement of security of Cantonment railway station is still safe at Railway Board office or lost in the heap of other files. For more than one-and-a-half-year, the position of additional SP of anti-terror squad is lying vacant at Varanasi. No one is ready to disclose whether any progress has been made in the investigations of the past terrorist attacks.After the Wednesday evening's serial blasts at Pune, high alert was sounded in the state and the district police swung into action. Checking drives became visible at all the public places like railway stations and bus stands while hotels and other places for stay were also covered. By Thursday afternoon the `alertness' of police and other forces like RPF and GRP seemed to be waning. When TOI visited Cantonment railway station, some armed cops of PAC were sitting at the same spot where one of the bombs was exploded by terrorist groups on March 7, 2006 but none of them were taking pain to check the visitors. The door frame metal detector, which was installed like a show piece at the main entry point of platform one, was also missing.

After March 7, 2006 serial blasts in the city, the RPF had forwarded a proposal for the enhancement of security arrangements at Cantonment railway station.

The need for construction of high boundary walls along railway tracks and fixing entry points to put a check on unauthorized persons, installation of close circuit television cameras at various points, DFMDs and other equipment were sought.

Except installation of CCTV cameras at some points, no other demand was fulfilled. RPF inspector Kamleshwar Singh denied having any information regarding the decision of Railway Board on such proposal. He expressed inability in continuing checking of each and every passenger round-the-clock due to insufficient manpower. With the existing resources, the railway forces are able to check only important trains. There is no dog squad.

The DFMDs existed at the place at the entry points of Dashaswamedh Ghat but no cop was present to ensure that everybody visiting the ghat was passing through it. At the ATS field unit office, where despite the provision of posting an ASP, no officer of this rank has been posted for more than one year. The officials present there were tight-lipped about the progress made in the investigation of terrorist blast cases in the district in past seven years.