Thar Express security still off track

In the light of the Samjhauta blasts, the security of another high-risk cross-border train...

In the light of the Samjhauta blasts, the security of another high-risk cross-border train, the Thar Express, is in question. And authorities concerned with the setting up of security measures for the train are passing the buck.

Before the starting of the Thar Express last February, Railway and police authorities had underlined the need for high-scale security and submitted a draft proposal that included dog squads, X-ray machines, CCTVs and extra armed forces personnel. A proposal that looked good on paper but forgotten, soon after.

State Principal Secretary Home V S Singh accepted the fact that there had been a proposal, but refused to divulge any details about the contents. 8220;The security on Thar Express and the stations it passes through is now being looked after by the Centre, so how does it matter? This is a matter of internal security and cannot be discussed,8221; Singh said.

However, sources within the Railway and the police department confirmed that the need for a proper and upgraded security system was an issue taken up with the state government on several occasions. 8220;First the state government failed to respond at the appropriate time. Later, the file was sent to the Central government and a response is still awaited. Whatever the status of the proposal might be, the fact remains that security is quite vulnerable,8221; a senior official of the North Western Government Railway Police said. However, the fact remains that even the Railways have failed to take appropriate measures and the police decided to go ahead with the service with 8216;a bare-minimum security essentials8217; at the stations.

Identifying the Munnabao station along with others as a high-risk zone, the police had demanded that the stations be equipped with the latest security systems and that a bomb disposal squad be kept on stand by. They had requested for a luggage screening machine at Jodhpur and a dog squad at Munnabao.

The proposal, which has been gathering dust for a year now, definitely needs urgent attention given the fact that the only luggage screening machine at Munnabao is out of order for the last eight months. Moreover, the RPF, state police and Railway police staff deployed at the station does not carry weapons and there is only one metal detector at the station and that too is shared by the customs and the police to frisk both luggage and passengers.

Last week, 198 passengers left for the neighbouring country and most of the frisking work was done manually.The only change being that the security checking were video recorded on Friday for the first time.

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8220;We decided to install CCTVs in out last meeting and this would be done at the earliest, though it is a lengthy process. Apart from the ticket counter and the Jodhpur station from where the Thar Express starts it journey, even Munnabao will have CCTVs,8221; Jodhpur Divisional Railway Manager A K Khanna said.