The railway ministry has begun the process of beefing up the force as they have got a sanction to induct 5,500 personnel on the post of sub-inspectors and constables from the PM.
Even as conflicting views are being expressed by the two Union Ministers about the cause of train accident on Friday killing 114 persons and who guards the railway track in Maoist infected areas, prime minister Manmohan Singh sanctioned recruitment of additional 5,500 personnel for railway safety.
If the railway ministry is trying to pass the buck by saying that the railway track security in Maoist infected areas was the prime responsibility of the state government particularly when the cause of the accident was blast, the Union home ministry maintained today that it was sabotage. No doubt, even this sabotage was well-planned and executed at the behest of the Maoists. But, it was not a blast and sabotage.
But the railway minister Mamata Bannerjee is not willing to accept it as a sabotage and asserted even today that it was a blast. home minister P Chidambaram yesterday asserted that it was a case of Sabotage.
The issue assumes significance because if it is a blast, the railway protection force can defend itself saying that in such cases, it cannot prevent accidents. However, in the case of a sabotage, the responsibility of the Railways itself is paramount.
Meanwhile, the Railway Protection Force has indicated that track safety is not under the RPF jurisdiction. A top RPF official said, “Dealing with the Maoist problem is the responsibility of the state government. We just provide the escort parties in the train.”
However, sources say RPF’s principal responsibility is to protect the railway property and tracks are a part of it.
But he also insisted that the Government Railway Police (GRP) is there to tackle these issues. “Tracks, which lie within the sovereign territory of the respective states are the primary responsibility of the local government.” GRP is a unit of the state police committed to maintaining the law and order in the railway premises as well as running trains. While the RPF protects the railway property including passengers traveling in the trains, GRP maintains the law and order.
The RPF also blamed the GRP of inaction even though they have all the powers. “An RPF personnel cannot even file an FIR, while the GRP have got all the requisite powers to maintain law and order,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the railway ministry has begun the process of beefing up the force as “We have got a sanction to induct 5,500 personnel on the post of sub-inspectors and constables. There will be some time before the recruitment actually begins,” said the official.
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