ECoR to install video surveillance at 28 rly stations

BHUBANESWAR: Keeping security of railway users in mind, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) has decided to install video surveillance at 28 railway stations under its zone spread over three states- Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Corpus available in ‘Nirabhaya Fund’ will be utilized for this project, official sources said.
As a part of this system, CCTV cameras will be installed at the stations.These cameras will be connected with control rooms at the stations. Presently, video surveillance system is available at big stations like Bhubaneswar, Puri, Cuttack and Visakhapatnam. These all are under integrated security system of Indian Railways.
ECoR sources said that Empowered Committee of Secretaries had recommended railway’s proposal for video surveillance systems at 1000 stations across the country. Corpus is available under ‘Nirbhaya Fund’ for the safety and security of women and children in station area, it added.
Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has fixed December target for installation of the systems at railway stations. Stations coming under A1, A, B and C category will be covered under the scheme, railway sources said. The stations, which will come under this scheme, are - Bhadrak, Jajpur-Keonjhar Road, Dhenkanal, Angul, Jagdalpur, Berhampur, Palasa, Ichhapuram, Sompeta, Balangir, Bargarh, Rayagada, Bobbili, Koraput, Khurda Road, Balugaon, Chhatrapur, Paradeep, Titlagarh, Kantabanji, Kesinga, Samabalpur, Talcher, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Simhachalam, Duvvada and Araku.
“Presently, paper work related to tendering and site selection is under process at field levels. We have taken up this work with target date December 2016. Monitoring of this work is being done at the highest levels of Railway Board,” said ECoR chief public relations officer JP Mishra.
He said this will help all security agencies from the point of view of women’s safety and security. It will keep strict vigil on anti-socials and rogue elements loitering around railway stations. “Railway security will get a fillip with this. Women passengers will feel much safer,” said Mishra.
The ECoR also plans to install CCTVs in 200 coaches of different trains running under its zone in 2016-17 for the safety of passengers.