Assam: Railways on high alert

ULFA8217;s latest offensive, killing more than 70 people, has the Railways worried.

ULFA8217;s latest offensive, killing more than 70 people, has the Railways worried. In 2003, trains coming from the northeast were targeted in Bihar in retaliation to attacks on its students in Assam. The Railways are fearing reprisals in Bihar this time too.

The Railways, represented by Railway Protection Force8217;s Director General A K Suri, are likely to press for better intelligence and information sharing at the meeting being called by the Home Secretary on Friday to discuss the prevailing situation in the northeast. The meeting will be attended by chiefs from the Intelligence Bureau, CISF, CRPF, BSF, Director General Military Operations of the army and also the chief secretary of Assam.

A probable reprisal in Bihar is not the only concern bothering Bihar. The fact that the Indian Railways were targeted 30 times by terrorist groups, 29 times in Assam, in 2006, comes as little consolation to the Railways top brass, particularly the RPF which is mandated to ensure security on Railways.

Figures available with The Indian Express show that as many as 14 blasts were triggered on tracks, trains or on railway premises with Lumding division accounting for as many as 18 of these strikes. Thirty-one people died in these terror strikes, while 98 sustained injuries.

Two recent attacks on the Railways in Assam8212;one wherein a bomb was hurled at the engine of Arunachal Express on the Rangiya-Goreswar section followed by indiscriminate firing and the other where a bomb blast was engineered between Lamding and Dimapur on a railway bridge over which a Rajdhani Express was to pass8212;have the RPF sensing more trouble in the northeast. 8220;It is no secret that we are a short-staffed force. To be able to escort trains effectively, we need more manpower,8221; a senior RPF official said, requesting anonymity. 8220;However, timely intelligence inputs and better coordination with other forces can be of great help to us,8221; he added.

Inquiries reveal that RPF still has hundreds of vacancies against the sanctioned strength in most of the Divisions in the northeast. For instance, against a sanctioned strength of 659 personnel ranging from constables to Inspectors in the Alipurduar division, only 468 personnel are posted at the moment. The situation in Rangiya Division has around 550 personnel posted against a sanctioned strength of around 720.