ECR RPF taskforce to check theft of coal, passengers' luggage

The Railway Protection Force of East Central Railway (ECR) would soon set up a special task force to check theft of coal from goods trains and luggage from passenger trains.
Besides the two, another major problem is Maoists' attack on railway tracks and that too would be taken care of by the task force, ECR Chief Safety Commissioner cum RPF Inspector General Ravindra Verma said today.
"The RPF would soon set up a special taskforce with available resources and personnel to combat the problems," Verma said.
Theft of coal from goods trains at railway stations and sidings has aggravated the crisis of coal shortage faced by power stations of the country, he said.

Verma, who is on a two-day visit in Dhanbad railway division, said 18 stations including Kumardhubi, Jamunia, Dugdha, Pathaldih, Rakhitpur and Chandrapura have been identified where coal is being lifted from goods trains.
A section of people in villages near these railway stations are involved in stealing coal, he said.

"RPF have also taken safety of passengers' luggage on priority basis. It has decided to deploy an assistant sub-inspector rank officer in escort teams in each long distance train," he said.
Till now, constables are deployed in escort teams.
Verma said RPF has identified stations, trains and sections where cases of passengers luggage theft are frequently reported.

On Maoists attacking railway tracks in ECR region, he said the number of such cases has reduced during the past one year.
Headquartered in Hajipur, the ECR covers the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, fully or partly.