Lok Sabha Question No. 132 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-02-24
Subject: Restructuring of RPF and Policing in Railways
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN, MD. BADARIDDOZA KHAN, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, LAKHAN LAL SAHU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 132 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.02.2016

## RESTRUCTURING OF RPF AND POLICING IN RAILWAYS

132.  DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN: SHRI MD. BADARUDDOZA KHAN: DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD: SHRI LAKHAN LAL SAHU:
2. Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
3. (a) whether incidence of hoax bomb threats in railways are increasing leading to long delays for passengers;
4. (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  during  each  of  the  last  three  years  and the current year;
5. (c) whether Railway Protection Force (RPF) has been requesting the Government to get its own bomb disposal and detection squad;
6. (d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons for delay; and
7. (e) the other steps taken/ being taken by the Government to give fullproof protection to the railway passengers?

ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS ( SHRI MANOJ SINHA )

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 132 BY DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN, SHRI MD. BADARUDDOZA  KHAN,  DR.  SUNIL  BALIRAM  GAIKWAD  AND  SHRI LAKHAN LAL SAHU TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 24.02.2016 REGARDING RESTRUCTURING OF RPF AND POLICING IN RAILWAYS.

(a):    Yes, Madam.

(b): The details of the hoax bomb threats in Railways received and of those leading to long delays for passengers during the years 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 (upto January) are as under:-

| Year                |   No. of hoax bomb threats received |   No. of hoax bomb threats received leading to long delays for passengers |
|---------------------|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2013                |                                  50 |                                                                        10 |
| 2014                |                                  84 |                                                                        17 |
| 2015                |                                 153 |                                                                        45 |
| 2016 (Upto January) |                                  29 |                                                                        10 |

(c)  and  (d):  Policing  on  Railways  is  a  State  subject  and  prevention  of crime, registration of cases and their investigation in Railway premises as well as on running trains is, therefore, the statutory responsibility of the  State  Governments,  which  they  discharge  through  Government Railway  Police  (GRP).  Therefore,  the  responsibility  of  detection  and disposal of bomb, IEDs etc. lies with the State Government. However, some bomb detection equipments like Explosive Vapour Detector, Deep Search  Metal  Detectors  and  bomb  disposal  equipments  like  bomb suppression  blanket  and  bomb  basket  etc.,  have  been  acquired  by Railway  Protection  Force  (RPF)  at  few  of  the  Zonal  Railways,  which may be used in case of any exigency, by trained RPF personnel. This is in addition to Dog Squads of RPF, which are functioning over different Zonal Railways as part of Bomb detection squads.

(e):  RPF  supplements  the  efforts  of  GRP  by  deploying  its  staff  for escorting  of  important  trains  in  affected  areas  and  access  control duties at important and sensitive stations. Besides, the following steps are  being  taken  by  the  Railways  to  provide  maximum  security  to passengers:-

1. An Integrated Security System consisting of surveillance of vulnerable stations through Close Circuit Television Camera Network,  Access  Control  etc.  have  been  sanctioned  to  improve surveillance mechanism over 202 sensitive railway stations.
2. On  vulnerable  and  identified  routes/  sections,  2300  trains  (on  an average)  are  escorted  by  RPF  daily,  in  addition  to  2200  trains escorted by GRP of different States daily.
3. All the ladies special trains running in Metropolitan cities are being escorted by lady RPF constables.
4. The ladies compartments in suburban trains are being escorted by RPF and GRP during peak/non peak hours. Staff deployment is made during  late  night  and  early  morning  in  suburban  trains  to  ensure better security to the lady passengers.
5. Joint drives by RPF/GRP and Commercial Department are conducted from time to time against the unauthorized entry of passengers in trains and railway premises.
6. RPF holds regular coordination meetings with State Police and GRP besides  sharing  of  intelligent  inputs  with  Intelligence  Bureau  and other intelligence agencies of State.
7. Security  Helpline  No.182  is  operational  over  Indian  Railway  for  the security related assistance to passengers in distress.

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