New Delhi: The government on Tuesday decided to
deploy additional forces to protect railway properties and
tracks and install CCTV cameras at vulnerable stations located
in Naxal-hit areas to check continuous attacks by extremists.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting, convened
by Union Home Secretary R K Singh and attended by Railway
Board Chairman Vinay Mittal and police chiefs of West
Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand.
The meeting decided to augment the Railway Protection
Force Personnel (RPF) in Maoist affected areas in coordination
with State police forces to protect railway stations, tracks,
godowns and intensify patrolling to ensure smooth running of
trains, official sources said.
Close Circuit Television Cameras will also be installed at
vulnerable stations located in Naxal affected states to
prevent extremist attacks.
Dedicated officers will also be put in three designated
places round the clock to coordinate security in railway
properties, particularly on inter-state borders of West
Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
Home Ministry officials are particularly concerned that
Maoists have been attacking on goods trains loaded with coal
and iron ore affecting industrial activities in different
parts of the country as major coal and iron ores mines are
located in these states.
"The meeting focused on systemic improvement of railway
security," an official said.
Currently, night running of trains has been suspended
along two railway lines passing through the Naxal belt.
There were 45 attacks on railway properties in 2010 and 23
this year till October 15.
PTI
