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‘Ambush teams’ to watch railway stations
Special teams of RPF (Railway protection force) will inspect all unmanned suburban stations on the Chennai-Tambaram route after stoppage of train service from Tuesday night.
Chennai
A five-member team of the Railway protection force (RPF) will inspect stations from Chetpet to Tambaram Sanatorium. Better known as “ambush party” in police circles for paying surprise visits to stations after termination of train operations during late night, the team comprising an inspector or sub-inspector and four constables will cover all stations except Mambalam, Pallavaram, St Thomas Mount and Guindy that are already manned by RPF on the route.
Ambush teams have thus far been covering only the MRTS segment stretching from Beach to Velachery stations. “The team will also visit manned stations if they receive specific requests from the personnel there,” senior divisional security commissioner K K Ashraf told DTNext. The ambush party coverage has been extended to the Chetpet-Sanatorium stretch following the techie Swathi’s murder in Nungambakkam last weekend, he admitted.
CCTV coverage by December
It is also reliably learnt that around 80 stations in the Chennai railway division, which were left out in the integrated security system (ISS), will be provided CCTV surveillance by the year-end. The project, which will be implemented under Nirbhaya fund, is in tendering stage. Once the procurement and installation gets over, the 80 stations in and around Chennai plus Ambur and Jolarpet would be brought under CCTV surveillance by December latest, Ashraff said.
Once operationalised, there would be big brother watching people everywhere on the station, for, railway security wing plans to install eight cameras for each platform in all the 82 stations. Ironically, only 30-odd stations are manned either by the GRP or RPF, leaving more than 50 per cent stations, including Nungambakkam, uncovered or rather unmanned.
RPF has also decided to review its enrolment under RPF Mitra scheme, wherein it networks with volunteers and travelling public to widen the safety net of rail passengers. Though over 200 people are understood to have enrolled in the Mitra (friend in Hindi) scheme, serious questions remain about the commitment of many and hence the RPF is understood to have planned a fresh enrolment of committed volunteers. “Every citizen is a policeman in civvies and a cop is a uniformed citizen. We want to raise awareness on this,” Ashraff added.
Chennai stations got Rs 40 cr for security
Around Rs 62 crore was sanctioned to TN under Nirbhaya fund. Chennai division got Rs 40 crore of the sanctioned sum owing to enormity of stations. Stations covered under Integrated security system – Mambalam (15 cameras), Basin Bridge (16), Tiruvallur (13), Tambaram (16), Egmore (52), Mylapore (16) and Central (82). In all 140 CCTV surveillance cameras have been provided for ISS in Chennai division. Moore Market Complex had CCTV surveillance even before ISS implementation a few years ago. Korukkupet, which has been identified as crime hotbed, is covered under foot patrolling, wherein two people in any given time walk between Korukkupet and Washermanpet and Korukkukpet and Basin Bridge. Two special patrolling teams work at the rate of six per shift in two shifts. If railway establishments like goods sheds, yards and coaching units are excluded, the RPF strength would be reduced to 1,100, which is at least a few hundred less than required strength of Chennai division.
HELPLINE NUMBERS: RPF - 182 GRP - 1512
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