Odisha DGP asks RPF to train GRP on bomb detection

The Odisha Police has urged the Railway Protection Force (RPF) to train Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel of the state to detect and defuse bombs, officials said.

Odisha Director General of Police R P Sharma came up with the suggestion during the first quarterly meeting of the state level security committee for the railways here Tuesday.

"The Government Railway Police personnel should be trained to detect and defuse bombs (by RPF)," Sharma said.

The RPF is under the Ministry of Railways that deals with safeguarding railway properties such as stations and their premises, while the state government-controlled GRP maintains law and order on board trains.

The RPF already has a unit to detect and defuse bombs.

The DGP also suggested that a joint team of GRP and RPF should be formed so that it can prevent drug trafficking within the jurisdiction of the railways.

A list of criminals with their photographs should be prepared to keep them under surveillance, Inspector General of the RPF, South Eastern Railway, SC Parhi, said.

It was decided that the railways will be asked to improve the infrastructure facilities for the GRP personnel.

A decision was made to increase the cooperation between RPF and GRP by holding monthly meetings at a senior level where day-to-day bottlenecks faced during the work can be sorted out, a senior official said after the meeting.

Safety and security of railway passengers was also discussed in the meeting.

The Odisha Police requested the RPF to install baggage scanners and increase the number of CCTVs at major railway stations, the official said.