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• The railways is all set to move a Bill seeking to make the Railway Protection Force (RPF), the sole body responsible for passengers' security on running trains as well as on the railways premises across the country. The RPF (Amendment) Bill is likely to be introduced in the budget session of Parliament next month.According to railway ministry sources, the proposed Bill seeks withdrawal of the Government Railway Police (GRP) from railway premises giving the RPF power to deal with criminal cases, including drugging and robberies on running trains and in station areas, sources said, adding the Bill which is ready awaits the Cabinet approval.
• According to a Railway Board official, after passage of the Bill by Parliament, it will be for the first time that a paramilitary force will be given policing power in the country. The proposed Bill also aims at eliminating the multiplicity of authorities as the RPF will be solely responsible for dealing with incidents of crime on railway premises, he said.According to an RPF security official, since the GRP is controlled by the respective state governments, there is always jurisdiction issue which hamper police investigation. Once the proposed Bill is passed and new law enacted, the GRP would be withdrawn across the country empowering RPF posts to lodge an FIR in any criminal case. However, the RPF's policing will be restricted to railway premises and on running trains, he said.
• According to sources, the RPF Association has been demanding introduction of the single security system in the Indian Railways on the pattern of railway security system which prevails in UK, US, Australia and Canada. This system will help curb increasing crimes under the jurisdiction of railways, sources said.The railways has been meeting half of the expenditure on GRP providing different facilities to them, including free railway passes, medical assistance and free accommodation, sources said, adding about 33,000 GRP personnel are deployed on railway duty at different stations across the country level.About 1.75 crore passengers have been travelling across the country daily. A single security system manned by the RPF would prove to be a boon for passengers, a Board official said, adding the RPF must be utilized for providing security cover to both railway property and passengers. This is possible only when the railways introduces a single security system, he said.

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