Stretch to running room to be patrolled by GRP, RPF at night

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 15

The General Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) will jointly patrol at night the way between the Bathinda railway station and its running room to curb the increasing thefts and snatching incidents in the area. The running room is the waiting room for loco pilots and other staff.

The authorities will also illuminate the area properly so that anti-social elements may not be able to take the advantage of darkness to burgle people passing through the area.

As per information and going by the cases registered, as many as six railway employees had been looted in the past six months when they were on their way to the running room from the railway station.

Earlier, both the RPF and the GRP used to wash their hands off the matter, citing that the area was not under their jurisdiction. Now, the railway authorities have directed both forces to share the responsibility of making the area secure.

As per the information received, the railway authorities have also decided to hire a private vehicle to pick up and drop the railway staff from the running room to make sure that they are not attacked.

The area is not safe for the staff as the running room and the loco lobby both are located near the railway yard, which is situated near Multania Flyover. It is more than a kilometer away from the railway station. The loco drivers, guards and railway staff usually cover the distance to the running room on foot to take rest. They go back to work through the same route.

The railway staff take the route regularly late at night and miscreants wait for a chance to loot them. “The railway employees are now hopeful that the thefts and snatching incidents will reduce after night patrolling. The pickup-and-drop facility will start for the staff to the running room,” said Ram Swaroop Meena, station superintendent.

Railway staff, including Harish Chandra, Abhilash Kumar, Harbans Lal, Mahinder Kumar, Joginder Singh, Rajesh Meena, Rajinder Singh and Roshan Kumar, have been attacked and looted on this route in the past.