Four police stations on railway stations to get a facelift

“The process has started on a war footing after years of following up with the Railways,” said GRP commissioner Quaiser Khalid. Four out of 17 police stations of GRP namely Wadala, Churchgate, Kurla and Vasai needed more space and urgent repairs

Mumbai: After years of requests and follow-ups with the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), the Government Railway Police (GRP) have managed to get sanctions to relocate and repair four police stations which were in pathetic condition.

Four police stations on railway stations to get a facelift

“The process has started on a war footing after years of following up with the Railways,” said GRP commissioner Quaiser Khalid. Four out of 17 police stations of GRP namely Wadala, Churchgate, Kurla and Vasai needed more space and urgent repairs, requests for which had been forwarded to the Railways years ago.

Wadala police station

The police station is located between platform two and three. The policemen have been working in an extremely dangerous situation for several years now. Due to its condition, the police station is infamously known as punishment posting among GRP personnel. The 1000 sq ft structure is in a dilapidated condition where there is no space to accommodate the 250 policemen assigned to the police station.

“The decibel level when a train stops or leaves the platform is so high that it is dangerous for humans,” said a police officer from Wadala GRP station. Wadala GRP covers the areas from Wadala to Kurla on Central and Harbour railways lines.

Solution: The GRP had sent a proposal to the Railways to relocate them to a place close to the station with 5000 sq ft of space. In August this year, the Railways sanctioned the request and granted space at a distance of 200 meters from the South end of Wadala east railway station, “The place has been sanctioned. After a new structure is built there, the police station will shift there,” said Khalid.

Churchgate GRP:

Operating out of a 1000 sq ft space at the north end of platform number 1, the police station is dilapidated and needs immediate attention. Khalid said that a month ago they had a meeting with the Railway engineers and GRP officials to decide on the renovation of the police station. “Work will begin In December to add another floor to the police station. Since there is no place to shift the police station, it was decided that another floor to the ground floor structure could be added,” said Khalid.

Kurla GRP:

Covering the area from Kurla LTT to Thane, Kurla GRP is the busiest police station for Mumbai GRP where more than three people die every day. According to the GRP officials, the ceiling of the police station is dangerous and in need of urgent repairs. “The sanction for repairs was given last year by the Railways, however there was no other place available to shift the police station,” said a GRP official.

“If the police station was shifted out of Kurla railway station, it would have been difficult for the victims to lodge a complaint and created confusion,” said Khalid pointing to the need of having the police station near the platforms.

A few days ago, the GRP got a sanction to shift the police station in Central Hall, just a few meters away from the railway station. “We would be shifting there in a few weeks until the repair work of the ceiling is done and a new slab is put,” said the official.

Vasai GRP:

Covering an area from Mira Road to Vaitarna, the jurisdiction of Vasai GRP is huge, but the present GRP office at Vasai Road railway station is located at least a kilometre away from the railway station which makes it difficult for the victims and complainants. “Even the police officers find it difficult to reach the spot in time,” said Sachin Ingavale, senior police inspector of Vasai GRP.

The police station which was located on platform 1 of Vasai Road railway station was small and was later moved to the ground floor of the railway quarters, which is a kilometre away. In 2016, the structure was declared unsafe after which the police officers have been asking to relocate them.

“We had a meeting with the MRVC who have agreed to shift the police station to a space in the East side of the railway station but it would come up only when the plan to renovate the station kicks off. This might take time, however MRVC have agreed to grant the space of 5000 sq mt as per our request for providing a lock up, evidence room, detection room, station house and cabin for the senior police inspector,” said Ingavale.

Apart from renovating the present police stations, Khalid, has submitted a proposal to add four new police stations connecting Mumbai to other parts of the distant suburbs. The proposed police stations would be at Asangaon (From Kalyan to Kasara), Badlapur (From Kalyan to Khapoli), LTT Kurla Terminus and Bhayandar (From Dahisar to Vasai) including the long-distance trains routes. Khalid said that the no extra funds would have to be shelled out.