KOLKATA: To bolster security along its network, particularly at stations,
Metro Railway is planning to hire personnel from
private security agencies. If this happens,
Kolkata Metro will be the
first railway zone in the country to hire private security guards.
In the past, this was planned for several stations, including Howrah, but the ministry of railways didn’t seem too keen. To increase manpower, the ministry had then ordered RPF personnel guarding non-essential assets to be redeployed in more important places. However, this hasn’t solved the problem.
“There is a shortage of RPF personnel in Metro Railway. There are nearly 660 personnel working in shifts, but that is not adequate, given the length of the network and the volume of passengers. We are now planning to go for outsourcing to increase manpower. We will get in touch with private security agencies and proper procedure will be followed before selection,” Metro Railway CPRO Indrani Banerjee said.
Monday evening’s incident at the Dum Dum station, when a young couple was reportedly assaulted by copassengers for hugging inside a train, has established that there aren’t sufficient security personnel at all stations. While Kolkata Police does pitch in with personnel, who form the Metro Railway Police, even their numbers aren’t adequate to curb such incidents of violence.
This is not the first instance of violence in the Metro in the last few weeks. A couple of weeks ago, an irate mob destroyed Metro property at Belgachhia after a squall stalled services between Dum Dum and Noapara.
“While all our new rakes — from ICF and Dalian — have closed-circuit TV cameras inside coaches, a decision has also been taken to try and fit surveillance cameras inside the 13 existing air-conditioned rakes. It has already been sanctioned and we are waiting for the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) to finalise its specifications.
For the time being, we are proceeding as per the RDSO’s draft specifications and have sought budgetary quotations from domestic and international firms. Some companies will be visiting our Noapara carshed on Saturday to find out whether the CCTV cameras can be fitted in the existing AC coaches. The system will have to be as per our specifications. We will require clear images,” Banerjee added.
A Research Designs and Standards Organisation team will also visit the Metro carshed soon to finalise details. Officials are hopeful that a solution will soon be available to make the rakes more secure for passengers.
