With non-functioning equipment and inadequate deployment of personnel,the security scenario at the Chandigarh railway station leaves much to be desired. This,despite tall claims by the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) of having strengthened security at the railway station. The only scanning machine and the GRP bunker at the entrance gate hardly prove to be of any deterrence. The assistance and help booth on the Panchkula side gate also has no real help on offer,as it is often unmanned. The metal detecting machine at the main entrance is hardly monitored (except on Republic Day and Independence Day security demonstrations or when a VIP visits). The GRP bunker near the parking area set up after the Mumbai attack last year is more suited for a big attack rather than stopping a person sneaking into the station in the garb of a passenger. The situation is worse at the gate on the Panchkula side. Officially,there is deployment of one GRP constable for traffic check,two head constables or constables for law and order check,and one RPF constable and two home guard constables. Even after thorough scrutiny,it is hard to spot these officials near the area. Also,except the GRP helpline toll free number displayed,no manual assistance is seen at the recently installed assistance booth near the parking area. The area even lacks a basic,proper lighting system. There is a functioning CCTV camera network at the station though,but it is of little help in the absence of adequate personnel or primary checks. Several new trains,including a direct link to Amritsar,have started,or are on the anvil,which could swell the daily passenger volume much beyond the present 28,000. This could further widen the loopholes in security. When asked about the security proposals pending for the almost a year,GRP SP (Haryana) Bharti Arora said,Definitely,with the increasing volume of traffic,the Chandigarh railway station security is required to be beefed up. Considering this,we have already moved up several security proposals to our senior officers. The SP refused to tell what the proposals are,on the pretext that it may hamper their materialisation. Some of the proposals earlier announced include installation of X-ray machines,more metal detectors,dog squads and baggage-scanning machines. The sealing of station entry and exit points with a boundary wall was also included in the proposals. There was special emphasis on an integrated security system of railways stations in this years Railway Budget. An amount of Rs 64 crore has reportedly been sanctioned for integrated security systems at 38 railway stations,Chandigarh being one of them.
