Nagpur, Nov 25: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Central Railway (CR) has decided to raise its own "Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad" (BDDS) to act promptly to emergency calls, a top CR RPF official said.
"There were incidents in the past when several key super fast trains were held up for want of BDDS and the CR had to requisition such squad from Maharashtra Police which caused unnecessary delay of trains," inspector general of central railway RPF (Mumbai) Subhash Joshi told reporters here today.
To avoid such incidents in future, the RPF has decided to raise its own BDDS, Joshi, who was here to inaugurate a reserve line of RPF at Ajni, said.
The RPF is also gradually phasing out the traditional 303 rifles for its personnel in the central railway, he said adding, it would be replaced with small fire arms like pistols, revolvers and carbines which were handy and easy to handle while executing duties in running trains.

Admitting that RPF has been facing shortage of menpower, Joshi said there was a shortage of about 800 personnel in the zone.
"There is a ban on fresh recruitments," he said adding, he would go to New Delhi tomorrow to take up the issue of recruitment with the railway authorities since shortage of menpower had become a problem for the force to execute its duties properly.
"Being a para-military force, RPF is doing its duty for the sake of nation. Five CR RPF companies had been sent to Jammu and Kashmir during assembly election for security duty while some others would be sent to Gujarat for the same purposes," Joshi added. Bureau Report