RPF pledges better security to women, children

Guwahati: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) based in the Northeast will focus on providing better  security to women, children and senior citizens, while concentrating on checking human trafficking and smuggling of contrabands through railways, the chief security commissioner of the RPF for Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Ratan Chand said here on Saturday.
On the existing strength of RPF, Chand said out of 26 sanctioned officers, two were lying vacant, while the existing personnel strength was 3771 against a sanctioned strength of 4112. Out of these are 132 female personnel.
He said there was a need to increase the strength of the force, adding that proposal for sanction against new railway projects has been sent to the ministry.
Chand said busting of criminal rackets, including nailing any Railway or RPF personnel involved, will also remain a priority for the RPF this year while saying that there was need to strengthen the RPF in the NFR jurisdiction for better policing.
“The RPF has resolved to provide better and secure journey to female passengers, children and senior citizens in 2017 and the RPF staff will be put through short duration intensive training for this,” he said.
Reiterating the RPF’s firm commitment to check human trafficking cases through railway transport network, he informed  that 10 cases of human trafficking were detected in 2016 and 60 boys and girls rescued and 19 traffickers arrested. Chand said most of the trafficked victims were from Assam, while a few were from Manipur and Meghalaya.
Chand further said through determined efforts and collections of actionable intelligence, RPF busted organized syndicates of criminals operating with connivance of Railway staff, including RPF in the year 2016.
Altogether 11 Railway personnel and two RPF personnel were arrested in 2016 in such cases, he added.
On security-related issues of passengers, Chand said 13 lines of Help Line  no. 182 were operational and Quick Response Teams have been constituted in some important railway stations.
As many as 163 complaints were received and disposed of through the help line in 2016.
Chand said over Rs 6.67 crores were realized in fines and penalties from offenders under various sections of the Railways Act in 2016, which was an increase by 320.75% over the previous year.
Contrabands worth over Rs 3.63 crore and forest property of over Rs 25 lakh were recovered by the RPF in 2016, while a large number of explosives, arms and ammunition were also recovered.