New Delhi: Ticket checking staff on
Indian railways will now double up as security agents
providing crucial information about suspicious baggage or
behaviour of passengers onboard trains, hitherto done by RPF
personnel only.
Broadening the activities of these staff, Railways
have decided to sensitise them about security related emergent
situations which may arise onboard trains and deal with the
situation effectively.
"They have been instructed to be vigilant for suspicious
behaviour of any passenger or doubtful objects in trains and
report the same to the escorting RPF party or RPF post at the
next railway station," said a senior railway official.
The decision comes in wake of heightened security
threat to Railways, which have been the target of several
terror elements.
Being soft targets, ensuring safety of passengers and
railway proprieties has been the main concern of Railways. It
has proposed an integrated security system in major stations
on the country.
About expanding the role of ticket checking staff, the
official said a high level committee comprising officers from
NSG, IB, Delhi Police, RPF and CISF apart from Railways set up
to formulate a composite security plan for Indian Railways had
come up with this recommendation.
All the zones have been asked to comply with the
directives from the Railway Board.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 10:02