Rly station gets bag scanner, still lacks adequate security

editorial@tribune.com

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 12

Though the city railway station has installed an X-ray baggage scanner, it is a far cry from becoming a closed and secure public place, like airports, as it has several entry and exit points.

The scanner has been installed at the main entrance to the platform number one of the railway station, known as Golden Temple model entrance. Since there are numerous entry and exit points, the belongings of every visitor can’t be vetted.

Amrit Singh, Officiating Director, Amritsar Railway Station, said there were seven points to enter the station so a demand for more scanners have been made for its security. He hoped that they would get more pieces of security apparatus as the railway board was analysing the intelligence review by prioritising the railway stations.

Sealing railway stations on the line of airports will be a daunting task at the local railway station. For instance, many past attempts to reconstruct a boundary wall have failed.

A daily visitor, Amit Aneja, said the cops deployed at the railway station didn’t have adequate metal detectors to guard the entry and exit gates.

Besides, another main entry to the railway station is from Gol Bagh side, which is near the walled city. Because of the lesser flow of commuters from this gate, even the railways station authorities seem to have forgotten to deploy any security guard there.

Similarly, people, in order to avoid being detected by the excise authorities, throw their merchandise from moving trains to slip out on the city outskirts.