Railway security has become an issue in the country aftermath of the Balasore train tragedy. New Delhi:Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday that Indian Railways is taking all measures to ensure the safety and security of passengers and has installed CCTV systems at 866 stations.
The Railway Minister also informed Lok Sabha that special arrangements, including special Railway Protection Force (RPF) deployment, are in place at railway stations that are near border areas. CCTV has become an intelligent unit and such systems are there in 866 railway stations. Their deployment has resulted in a positive impact in terms of rescuing children who are being trafficked, protecting women passengers and helping aged people, the minister said.
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Responding to queries related to CCTV systems at railway stations, Vaishnaw said various initiatives have been taken and stressed that cyber security is important when it comes to Internet Protocol (IP)-based CCTV systems. It needs to be ensured that such systems are not compromised, he added. IP-based video surveillance system is a digitised and networked version of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV).
Railway security has become an issue in the country aftermath of the Balasore train tragedy. The railways had earlier almost cleared the air on the Odisha train accident, indicating a possible "sabotage" and tampering of the electronic interlocking system behind the triple train accident. Vaishnaw had then said said the 'root cause' of the accident and the "criminals" responsible for it have been identified. Opposition alleged that Vaishnaw's "over the top publicity, theatrics and PR gimmicks overshadowed the serious deficiencies, criminal negligence and complete disregard for safety and security of Indian Railways".
