A day after firing incident, RPF conducts safety seminar

After a constable allegedly killed four people on a train, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) held a safety seminar to address issues faced by the force, including vacancies and long working hours. The seminar was conducted by the additional director general of RPF, who also heads the committee investigating the incident. The committee has been given three weeks to investigate and find solutions.

Mumbai: A day after constable Chetan Singh allegedly killed four persons on board Jaipur-Mumbai Central Superfast Express, Railway Protection Force (RPF) held an unscheduled safety seminar on Tuesday.

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More than 100 RPF personnel attended the seminar conducted by additional director general of RPF Sanjay Sankrityayan at Mumbai Central. Sources said the top boss asked the force about the issues faced by them and ensured redressal.

Senior officials said the safety seminar was to boost the morale of the force and was a monologue by Sankrityayan. According to railway sources, one of the biggest issues are vacancies in RPF, plaguing the force’s efficiency and increasing work hours, affecting health.

On Central Railway’s Mumbai division, the sanctioned RPF strength is around 2,450, of which around 25% posts are vacant, while on the Western Railway, the sanctioned strength is 1,789, of which around 24% are vacant.

“Due to the vacant posts, many times our working hours get extended by a few hours. We have to adjust duty hours for others as well in case of urgency or someone is unwell or is not working for any reason,” a few RPF staff said.

Moreover, the RPF personnel said periodic health checkup comprises physical health with no mention about mental fitness, barring sessions of yoga and meditation conducted handful of times in a year.

Sankrityayan also heads the high-level five-member committee set up to investigate the firing incident. The committee has been given a three-week deadline to probe into the incident and arrive at solutions.

Sources said there is a possibility of discussing weapons and ammunition given to the RPF staff. The RPF staff claimed that they undergo training on weapons before joining the force. After which, every year the jawans carrying these weapons are made to undergo practice at shooting ranges at regular intervals every few months.