Rail divisions in state on alert after Bihar incident

Ranchi: Railway divisions in Jharkhand on Sunday said that they have stepped up patrolling in the railway routes under their respective jurisdictions to detect and thwart any suspected activities by the CPI(Maoist) operatives in between July 28 and August 3.
The CPI(Maoists) observe martyrdom week between July 28 and August 3 each year to commemorate their fallen comrades and attempt strikes against the security personnel and key government installations. Maoist operatives had held hostage the station master of Chaura railway station in Jamui district of Bihar for a few hours in the intervening nights of July 30 and July 31. The incident had affected railway movement in the Jamui-Jhajha rail section for several hours.
“The patrolling of RPF personnel along the railway routes has been intensified. We have also established close coordination with Jharkhand Police and are conducting joint security patrols to thwart any such incident. RPF personnel are also on board the key express trains that are passing through our jurisdiction,” a senior official of the Chakradhapur railway division under South Eastern Railways said.
The official said particular focus has been put on the Chakradharpur-Manoharpur-Goelkera route.
“It is a regular protocol to step up security surveillance of the railway routes during the martyrdom week, which is observed by the Maoists at this time each year. We are closely working with the state police this year as well,” a senior official at Ranchi railway division said.