Question : RAILWAY PROTECTON ROUTE

(a) whether the Railways propose to abolish the existing three tier system of policing exercises by RPF, GRP and district to ensure seamless security to the passengers; if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(b) whether the Railways also propose to empower Railway Protection Force with more powers to handle criminal cases on trains itself and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Railways have obtained the consent of the State Governments in this regard and if so, the reaction of the States thereto;

(d) whether the Railways also propose to set up separate women’s wings of RPF and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) whether the Railways have any plan to initiate the registration of FIR by the passengers in train and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken thereon?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

(a) & (b): To put in place a cohesive and unified security mechanism over Indian Railways for effective passenger security, a proposal for amendment in the Railway Protection Force (RPF) Act 1957 has been moved by the Ministry of Railways with the concurrence and approval of the Ministries of Law & Justice and Home Affairs. The proposal envisages empowerment of RPF to register and investigate passenger related criminal offences in passenger area leading to replacement of prevailing three tier security system of RPF, Government Railway Police (GRP) and District Police by a two tier security system of RPF and District Police.

(c): Comments of States have been solicited on the proposed amendments in the RPF Act. Comments have so far been received from 23 States/Union Territories (UTs). Six States i.e. Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim have agreed to the proposal whereas sixteen States/UTs i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Nagaland, Odisha, Puduchery, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have opposed the move to amend the RPF Act and one UT i.e. Andaman & Nicobar has not offered any comments. Eight States i.e. Assam, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, & Uttrakhand have preferred not to send the reply. Minister of Railways has requested the Chief Ministers of States to consider the proposal keeping the interest of common passengers in mind and convey the concurrence so that proposal may be processed further.

(d): With a purpose to provide exclusive women units to zonal railways to strengthen security environment and to instill a sense of security among women passengers, 12 Mahila Vahinis of RPF have been sanctioned i.e. 02 each for Northern Railway, Central Railway, Western Railway & Eastern Railway and 01 each for Southern Railway, South Eastern Railway, South Central Railway and North Western Railway + South Western Railway. Besides above, one Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) Mahila Battalion has been sanctioned at Asansol for further strengthening of security of women passengers over Indian Railways.

(e): As per existing provisions, in case of theft of luggage, robbery/dacoity in running trains, a passenger can approach train conductor/ coach attendant/guard or GRP/RPF escort. They will give the FIR Form which may be duly filled in and handed over to them. The complaint will then be forwarded to the Police station for necessary action.