Railways asked to decide soon on cost for posting GRP in trains

Bombay High Court directed Railways to decide by August 30 a proposal to bear 50 % of cost incurred to deploy 100 GRP personnel across suburban railway stations and trains to ensure safety of women.

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the Railways to decide by August 30 a proposal to bear 50 per cent of the cost incurred to deploy additional 100 GRP personnel across suburban railway stations and in local trains to ensure safety of women commuters. A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sanklecha was hearing a suo moto (on its own) public interest litigation based on newspaper reports and a PIL filed by NGO Help Mumbai Foundation regarding women`s safety in the city and while travelling in local trains.

On the last hearing, the court was informed that on request from the Government Railway Police (GRP) for additional 100 Home Guards the state government had sanctioned it but had asked the railways to bear 50 per cent of the cost. However, the railways did not agree to it. The railways today submitted an affidavit stating that the proposal was forwarded to the railway board on July 22 for sanction. "Considering the urgency involved we direct the railways board to decide the proposal by August 30," the bench said. The court also directed the state government to take a decision by August 31 on whether it would be accepting the recommendations made by the Justice Dharmadhikari committee, set up to look into women safety issues. PTI