Do the railways really care about you?

Two years after 26/11, tenders to install crucial security system yet to be floated; sources say increase in personnel only gives false sense of security

The security of the city's railway stations continue to be inu00a0 limbo as the tenders for the Integrated Security Systems (ISS, see box) are yet to floated.

The ISS was planned on a high-priority basis in the aftermath of the 26/11 terror attacks. But a year-and-a-half after the railway authorities planned to float the tenders, nothing has come of it yet.


A MiD DAY visit to some major railway stations in September had also found that DFMDs were not working in most of them

The ISS is crucial to railway security as its implementation would have entailed the installation of 784 CCTV with Internet protocol, three control rooms, eight vehicle scanners, 11 baggage scanners, 63 Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMDs), 426 handheld metal detectors, 17 sniffer dogs and electronic explosive detectors.

MiD DAY had earlier visited five prominent railway stations in the city with former Railways IG Sudhakar Suradkar ('We are just sitting here', September 25) to monitor the security situation.

The result was unsatisfactory as most DFMDs were not in working condition and the personnel did not have sufficient expertise.

Misleading security

After this report, new DFMDs were installed at stations like CST, Dadar but the personnel to monitor them are yet to be trained.

Post 26/11, senior railway authorities urgently called for fool-proof security at all railway stations.

"It is just that RPF personnel have been equipped with weapons, some DFMDs have been installed and there is increased patrolling," said the official. Bunkers and baggage scanners have been installed at major stations.

There are an estimated 3,500 GRP personnel and 2,370 RPF personnel in the Mumbai division. But the official pointed that increased personnel only provide a false sense of security for the public.

V K Dhaka, Chief Security Officer, Central Railway, said, "We are prepared for any unlikely situation.

All my officers are on alert to ensure the safety of passengers at any cost. We have also projected a demand of 2,600 more personnel."

Additionally, the total amount sanctioned for the ISS was Rs 76 crore initially, which has now been reduced to
Rs 37 crore.

The Other Side

S Mudgerikar, Chief PRO, Central Railway, said, "We are still in the process of giving out the tenders. In the meanwhile, the different components of the Integrated Security Systems is being installed phase by phase.

We have already installed more CCTVs, DFMDs and other security apparatus and are in the process of installing more security equipment."

When asked about the decrease in theu00a0 amount sanctioned for ISS, he replied, "The amount is allocated on a yearly basis."

Hi-tech
ISS refers to an arrangement of hi-tech equipment including CCTV cameras, vehicle and baggage scanners, DFMDs,u00a0 and electronic explosive identification and disposal machines.

Voices

I have not seen any specific increase in security arrangements. It was there immediately after the attacks but things are back to normal now.
Deepali Rathod, commuter

I have noticed an increase in security at railway stations only if there is a VIP visit or if some blasts have taken place.
Sunil Kumar, commuter