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Year on, sole luggage scanner lies defunct at Ludhiana railway station
In January, the then senior divisional security commissioner had claimed, “We have finalised a new maintenance contract and the machine will be operational soon.”
The only baggage scanner at the Ludhiana railway station has been lying defunct for the past year, leaving the station’s security in the hands of a Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel with a hand-held metal detector.
The station, with a daily footfall of 50,000 individuals and 200 trains running through it, sees regular smuggling of illicit substances like opium and ganja. In 2023, the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) of the Government Railway Police seized 98kg ganja, 58kg opium and 27kg poppy husk. In 2022, it recovered 58.7kg ganja and 28.7kg opium.
The CIA had also confiscated 14,400 intoxicating pills, including Lomotil, Alprazolam and Tramadol, and 60 bottles of banned cough syrup in 2023.
Besides drugs, the GRP was also able to recover seven pistols, one cartridge, a magazine and five knives.
These seizures were the result of random checkings, which are only carried out occasionally. However, the fact that the smugglers were able to carry such a massive number of drugs on the premises of the biggest railway station of the state, highlights the immediate need for a luggage scanning mechanism at the entrance itself. A police official, on the condition of anonymity, said that it was possible that illicit substances were being taken through the station as there were no mandatory checks.
In January, the then senior divisional security commissioner had claimed, “We have finalised a new maintenance contract and the machine will be operational soon.” However, the machine still lies out of service.
When approached again, senior divisional security commissioner Rishi Pandey, repeating the claim, said, “Very soon we’ll have it working. Annual maintenance contract work is in the advanced stage.”
When asked when the last contract expired, there was no response.
