Lok Sabha Question No. 725 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-07
Subject: National Campaign by RPF to prevent Human Trafficking
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 725 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2024

## NATIONAL CAMPAIGN BY RPF TO PREVENT HUMAN TRAFFICKING

## †725.  SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has started a National campaign to prevent human trafficking, if so, the details thereof ;
- (b) whether the RPF proposes to deploy a special team on the every long distance Railway route ;
- (c) whether the RPF proposes to work as a link in all states to assist local police in the mission to prevent human trafficking;
- (d) if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether  the  RPF  is  planning  to  launch  Cyber  Cell  to  patrol web/social Media to check digital footprint of human trafficking;
- (f) whether the Government proposes to focus on the trains running from the border districts of the country; and
- (g) if so, the action plan prepared in this regard?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (g): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (g) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 725 BY SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA  ON  07.02.2024  REGARDING  NATIONAL  CAMPAIGN  BY  RPF  TO PREVENT HUMAN TRAFFICKING

(a)  to  (g):  'Police'  and  'Public  Order'  are  State  subjects  under  the  Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India and, therefore, State Governments are responsible for prevention, detection, registration and investigation of crime and maintenance of law and order on Railways through their law enforcement agencies viz. Government Railway Police (GRP)/District Police. Railway  Protection  Force  (RPF)  supplements  the  efforts  of  GRP/District Police to provide better protection and security to railway property, passenger area and passengers and for matters connected therewith. RPF is not empowered to investigate cases of Human Trafficking and whenever any case  of  suspected  human  trafficking  is  detected  by  RPF,  the  same  is reported  to  GRP/District  Police.  The  persons  rescued  and  apprehended  are handed over to concerned Police for further necessary action as per law.

A  pan  India  drive  'Operation  AAHT'  is  undertaken  by  RPF,  focused  to  take effective action in cases of Human Trafficking through railways.

In order to strengthen action against Human Trafficking, more than 750 Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) at post level have been setup by RPF over the Indian Railways. These AHTUs coordinate with AHTUs of Police & CAPFs (Central  Armed  Police  Forces)  i.e.  BSF  &  SSB  functioning  at district level/state  levels/International  Borders  and  with  Intelligence  Units,  NGOs working  in  this  field,  other  stakeholders  and  take  effective  action  on traffickers as per law.

Also,  field  formations  of  RPF  have  been  sensitized  to  act  proactively involving  all  the  stakeholders  to  prevent  any  type  of  Human  Trafficking through  railways  particularly  from  the  vulnerable  districts  of  the  country bordering Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

RPF  has  established  16  Zonal  Cyber  Cells  across  all  railways  since  2018 which also addresses crimes across the Indian Railways focusing on Human Trafficking cases as well. A TOPARC Unit (TECH OPERATIONS FOR POTENT ACTION  AGAINST  RAILWAY  CRIME)  at  Railway  Board  has  also been established in the year 2022. The specialized unit is dedicated to monitor, supervise and support field units on actionable inputs needs to be culled out from  various  digital  data  base.  Additionally  access  to  NDHT  (National Database  of  Human Traffickers)  of  NCRB  (National  Crime  Records  Bureau) through ICJS (Inter-operable Criminal Justice System) has been provided to RPF  for  collecting  intelligence  relating  to  suspicious  activities  of  Human Traffickers.

Further, the following steps are being taken by the Railways in coordination with GRP/District Police to prevent Human Trafficking over Indian Railways :-

1. An Exhaustive Security circular No.03/2022 dated 02.02.2022, detailing action plan to be taken by RPF against Human Trafficking have been issued.
2. Train escorting parties and staff deployed in mass contact areas have been sensitized and trained to identify the potential victims of trafficking and to take immediate action to rescue them.
3. To supplement the efforts of State Police, Cyber cells of RPF have been instructed  for  cyber  patrolling  of  the  web/social  media  to  look  for digital  footprints/ traces of human trafficking in the internet and to cull

- out  the  clues  helpful  in  taking  action  against  Human  Trafficking through railways.
4. The  subject  of  'Human  Trafficking'  has  been  included  in  all  training courses conducted in RPF Training Centres. Also, time to time special seminars  are  organised  to  sensitize  RPF  personnel  and  train  them  in identification of victims and traffickers.
5. Periodic  review  meetings  are  held  with  Nodal  Officers  of  Anti  Human Trafficking  Units  and  other  concerned  agencies  from  time  to  time  to review the efforts undertaken to combat human trafficking.
6. Surveillance  is  kept  through  CCTV  cameras  in  coaches  and  Railway Stations.
7. Regular  coordination  meetings  are  conducted  with  AHTUs  of  GRP/ District Police to prevent Human trafficking.

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