Jharkhand train hijack: Railways to intensify interaction with state

New Delhi, Mar 14 (UNI) The Railways, which depends on state governments for feedback relating to internal security, will intensify its liaison with the states to get a clear picture of threat perceptions, in the light of a passenger train being held up by naxalites for nearly 12 hours in Jharkhand last evening.

The Railway Board today said it would investigate the allegation that there was no light inside the 628 Burwadih-Mughalsarai passenger train right from when it started its journey.

It said the trains were operated in Jharkhand yesterday because there was no word from the state government to stop operations in view of the bandh called by the Maoist outfit.

The Bandh was called by the Maoists in protest against the killing of one of their top comrades in police encounter in Palamau district on March 3.

"The Railway protection Force (RPF) does not have as intelligence wing dealing with internal security. For matters relating to internal security, we are dependent on state and central governments," Railway Board Chairman J P Batra told mediapersons, giving the details of the detention of the train near Latehar on the Hahegara-Kumundi section in Jharkhand.

"We interact with the state governments whenever there is a bandh call and we go by their information. We get in touch with the state government to find out whether the effect of bandh is such that total activity needs to be brought to an end," he said, adding that " in this case the state government did not tell us to stop train operation. In fact, the trains were running the entire day." On the reports that there was no light in the train right from it started its journey, Mr Batra said "we would investigate if this was true." Replying to a question, he said " a bandh call does not mean that every single activity of government will have to come to a halt." Throwing light on the role of Railway Police Force he said the role of the RPF was to project railway property and ensure that there was no theft in the trains.

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