However, all these have not stopped the railways from stonewalling a Right to Information (RTI) plea by an activist who wanted to know how the railways planned to ramp up security for the station.
The fact that Thane station, with 11 platforms and hundreds of suburban and outstation trains halting there, is one of the country's most congested is stating the obvious. In the days to come it will get even more crowded, because the railways last week announced that eight more trains will have halts at Thane from the first week of October. These four pairs of trains are highly patronised ones — the 12811/2 LTT-Hatia Express, the 12879/80 LTT-Bhubaneshwar Express, the 22107/8 Latur-CST Express and the 12865/6 LTT-Puri Express.
The station already sees a footfall of more than 9 lakh passengers a day and some of its foot overbridges are among the most crowded in the country. Thane currently has 69 RPF personnel manning the station and nine CCTV operators handling 96 CCTV cameras.
However, all these have not stopped the railways from stonewalling a Right to Information (RTI) plea by an activist who wanted to know how the railways planned to ramp up security for the station.
Speaking to dna, Ramachandra Karve, banker-cum-railway activist, said he was surprised by the refusal of the Railway Protection Force to give information pertaining to some of his queries.
"I had sought information on whether revision in the sanctioned strength and actual strength of the RPF is carried out with firstly an increase in the number of platforms at a particular station, like Thane, secondly whether an indent or request for increasing the said strength is submitted periodically to the RPF and railway administration for necessary action, and thirdly, whether the sanctioned strength and working strength are revised for stations like Thane with an increase in the volume of passenger traffic handled," said Karve.
The RPF informed Karve that answers to these queries would not be given because the three queries serve any public interest and hence could be refused under clause 8(1)(a) & (i) of the RTI Act.
"There has to be a corresponding increase in RPF personnel when the passenger traffic and platforms increase at a station. Thane, in the past 12-15 years, has seen its platforms increase from six to 11 now, which includes platform 10A. Their refusal to answer these queries reflect lack of understanding and concern on part of the RPF administration regarding security problems. This is unfortunate," said Karve.
He added that he planned to appeal. "Understaffed RPF cannot deal effectively with anti-social elements or those who risks the security of a station as well bonafide passengers using it," said Karve.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "RPF")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}