Rly station sans policemen

Amit Bathla

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 13

Putting the lives of passengers at risk, no policeman has been deployed at major entry points, including the main gate, of the railway station here.

In the absence of police personnel, anti-social elements may have a field day at the railway station.

No frisking was being done when The Tribune team visited the station. A door frame metal detector had been installed at the starting point of the ramp that takes passengers to platforms, with a rope lodged around it. No policeman, however, was present around.

Due to multiple entry and exit points, thousands entering the station go unchecked. The laxity in security just adds to it.

Adjacent to a ticket reservation window, there was a bunker of sandbags, which was abandoned. Passengers could enter the station without a security check, as stairs near the main gate allowed them to bypass it and take them directly to platforms.

It seemed that Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel were not doing their job properly.

When contacted, the Station House Officer (SHO), GRP, Bathinda said: “Police personnel don’t have a fixed place of work. They have to cover platforms, too. If any unexpected situation arrives, they have to attend that, too, he said.

They could have gone for other important work, the SHO said. He said he would ask the official concerned why the policemen were not present.

On being asked about the number of personnel deployed at the railway station, he said it depended upon the situation.