Lok Sabha Question No. 2712 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-04
Subject: Surveillance Cameras at Stations
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Rahul Ramesh Shewale

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2712 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2021

## SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS AT STATIONS

†2712. SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether more than four years after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Indian Railways and RailTel for  the  installation  of  surveillance  cameras at 983 stations across the  country  to  enhance  safety  of  women  passengers  has  derailed and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  there  have  been  dozens  of  cases  of  crimes  against women, including murders, sexual assaults, attacks and robbery in railway stations or trains during the last five years;
- (c) if  so,  whether the purposes of setting up surveillance cameras has been defeated over the years;
- (d) if so, the response of the Union Government thereon;
- (e)  whether the Union Government has investigated the causes of derailment  of  the  MoU  and  if  so,  the  outcome  thereof  and  the measures taken by the Union Government in this regard; and
- (f)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Union  Government  to  give  priority  for installation  of  surveillance  cameras  to  enhance  safety  of  women passengers?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  No,  Sir.  Out  of  983  stations,  310  stations  have  been  provided with Video Surveillance System.  At remaining stations, provisioning of CCTV is in progress.

Zone-wise details of 310 stations is appended.

(b) to (d):  Policing on Railways being a State subject, prevention of crime, registration of cases, their investigation and maintenance of law & order in Railway premises as well as on running trains are the  statutory  responsibility  of  the  State  Governments,  which  they discharge through Government Railway Police (GRP)/District Police. However, Railway Protection Force (RPF) supplements the efforts of GRP to provide better protection and security of passenger area & passengers and for matters connected therewith.

Cases  of  Indian  Penal  Code  (IPC)  crimes  including  crime  against women passengers in trains and at railway stations are registered and investigated by the concerned Government Railway Police/District  Police.  Railways  does  not  maintain  any  data  on Indian  Penal  Code  (IPC)  crimes.  Whenever  any  information  about status  of  crime  on  Railways  is  sought,  State  GRP  is  requested  to provide the information. Based on the data provided by Government Railway  Police,  the  number  of  cases  of  crimes  against  women passengers including rape, murder, assault and eve-teasing in trains and at railway stations registered, have shown a decreasing trend since the year 2018 which was in increasing trend in the year 2016 to 2018. Also, there is significant decrease in the number of cases of Robbery in the year 2020 as compared to previous years i.e. from 2016 to 2019.

However, the following steps are also being taken by the Railways in  coordination  with  GRP  for  Safety  and  security  of  passengers  in trains and at stations:-

- (i) RPF  has  taken  several  measures  to  provide  better security  of  women  passengers.  An  Pan-Indian  initiative 'Meri  Seheli'  was  launched  by  RPF  on  17.10.2020  with objective  to  provide  enhanced  safety  and  security  to lady  passengers  travelling  by  trains  for  their  entire journey  i.e.  from  the  originating  station  to  destination station.  The  focus  is  to  provide  the  security  to  lady passengers  especially  those  travelling  alone  and  to instill a sense of security in them. Teams of lady officers and  staff  have  been  formed  who  are  well  trained  and briefed about the objective.
- (ii) On  vulnerable  and  identified  routes/section,  trains  are escorted  by  Railway  Protection  Force  in  addition  to trains escorted by Government Railway Police of different States daily.

- (iii) Security Help Line Number  139 (Tollfree) is  made operational (24X7) over Indian Railway for security related assistance to passengers in distress.
- (iv) Fixed CCTV  cameras have been provided in 4141 coaches and 814 Railway stations for enhancing security of passengers.
- (v) Drives  are  conducted  against  entry  of  male  passengers into Railway compartments reserved for women passengers.
- (vi) Exclusive  unreserved  coaches/compartment  for  female passengers in EMU (Electrical Multiple Unit)/DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit)/MMTS (Multi  Modal Transport System) trains & local passenger trains depending upon demand pattern as well as availability of accommodation.
- (vii) Running  of  ladies  special  EMU/MEMU/MMTS  service  on the suburban section of Mumbai, Kolkata, Secunderabad, and  Chennai  as  well  as  on  the  Delhi-National  Capital Region (NCR) Sections.
- (viii) Ladies  Special  trains  running  in  Metropolitan  cities  are being  escorted  by  lady  RPF  personnel.  In  other  trains, where  escorts  are  provided,  the  train  escorting  parties have  been  briefed to keep  extra vigil on the lady passengers travelling alone, ladies coaches en-route and at halting stations.
- (ix) For safety of ladies passengers, Emergency Talk System and Closed Circuit Television Surveillance Cameras have been  provided  in  ladies  compartment/coaches  of  all newly  manufactured  Electrical  Multiple  Unit  (EMU)  and Air-conditioned rakes of Kolkata Metro. This system has also been provided in all newly manufactured Airconditioned EMU rakes and Electric Train Sets.
- (x) With a view to further fortify the security system, Flasher lights have also been provided in ladies coaches in EMU rakes in some Zonal Railways. These lights start blinking and  buzzer  will  start  sounding  once  the  alarm  chain  in pulled and it will continue till resetting of alarm chain.
- (e)  &  (f)  In  order  to  expedite  the  work  for  provision  of  Video Surveillance System  at  Railway  stations, it has  been  divided between  some  Zones  &  RailTel,  a  Public  Sector  Undertaking  of Indian Railways.

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APPENDIX  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  UNSTARRED QUESTION  NO.2712  BY  SHRI  RAHUL  RAMESH  SHEWALE  TO  BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 04.08.2021 REGARDING SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS AT STATIONS

(a)  Zone-wise  details  of  Provision  of  CCTV  Cameras  at Stations under Nirbhaya Fund.

| S.NO.                   | Railways                | Number of Stations provided with CCTV   |
|-------------------------|-------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| 1                       | 16                      | CENTRAL                                 |
| 2                       | 7                       | EASTERN                                 |
| 3                       | 38                      | EAST CENTRAL                            |
| 4                       | 11                      | EAST COAST                              |
| 5                       | 37                      | NORTHERN                                |
| 6                       | 20                      | NORTH CENTRAL                           |
| 7                       | 15                      | NORTH EASTERN                           |
| 8                       | 5                       | NORTHEAST FRONTIER                      |
| 9                       | 21                      | NORTH WESTERN                           |
| 10                      | 42                      | SOUTHERN                                |
| 11                      | 20                      | SOUTH CENTRAL                           |
| 12                      | EASTERN 30              | SOUTH                                   |
| 13                      | 2                       |                                         |
| 14                      | 14                      | SOUTH WESTERN                           |
| 15                      | 15                      | WESTERN                                 |
| 16                      | WEST CENTRAL 17         |                                         |
| Total (No. of Stations) | Total (No. of Stations) | 310                                     |

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