Security remains major issue at city railway station

LUDHIANA: As militants struck at Dina Nagar and allegedly planted live bombs on the railway track to cause a major loss of human lives, security at the city railway station remains a big issue. The station neither has proper CCTVs nor metal detectors. Sources said that even as the station has four CCTV cameras, two installed at platform number one, one at the passenger waiting area and booking counter, these don't have a recording option.They added that apart from not being able to record, the CCTVs are not even movable.
"If the CCTVs cannot record anything and are not even movable, how can they ensure better security at the station by keeping an eye on the people entering the station area," said a senior official at the railway station. He added that there are around seven platforms in the station, but CCTVs installed on the first platform is a big joke, as thousands of passengers visit the station every day. Sources said that leave alone the CCTVs, there are no metal detectors at the station, which makes the station highly vulnerable to anti-social elements.
"The metal detectors at the entry and passenger waiting area stopped functioning last year, and since then, they have not been repaired. Also, the door frames for the installation of metal detectors are not there, and no one bothered to get the system installed. Perhaps, the Ludhiana station is one of the most insecure railway stations in the country," said a railway official, asking not to be named. The authorities agreed that the security system at the railway station is not good.
"More CCTVs with recording facility need to be installed at the station. We have already written to the higher authorities for the same. Also, there is need to install the metal detectors after getting them repaired," said Yashwant Singh, station superintendent at the city railway station. One RPF official said that in view of the terror attacks near the railway line in Gurdaspur, there is need to have a bomb detecting machine at the station.
Meanwhile, residents who frequently visit the railway station say the security at the railway station should be given top priority, as thousands visit the station every day. Says Manpreet Singh, a businessman who frequently visits the railway station. "I normally go to Chandigarh and Delhi almost every week, but I am not happy with the security system at the station. The CCTVs are just a showpiece and don't record, and then there are no metal detectors, showing that the security at the station is a big joke."