CR RPF keeps back-up staff to deal with stirs

Mumbai: This monsoon, the central railway’s (CR) railway police force (RPF) will ask off-duty staff to help out by coming to the railway stations they stay close to. The aim being to ensure that when on-duty staff is stuck in trains due to disruption caused by rain and cannot reach the railway station where there may be a protest underway, back-up manpower is available to do so.

In December last year, Titwala saw a rail-roko after the municipal body carried out demolition about one kilometre away from the station. At the time, RPF officials were unable to reach the spot to pacify the mob.

An official said, “At the time of the Titwala incident, even though we had staff travelling in trains from Kalyan to Titwala, they could not reach the spot as the trains were at a standstill.”

The RPF has now drawn up a list of headquarters so that the next time such a situation arises, action can be taken swiftly. “We have come to realise that there are 50 o
four officers and constables at Titwala out of which 30 to 40 per cent may be at home during such an incident,” the official said.

Other stations that have seen similar protests include Badlapur, Dombivali, Mankhurd and Kalyan.