Dhanbad, July 26: General manager of East Central Railway H.R. Varshaney today said the railway administration will provide amenities to the Government Railway Police (GRP), but posed a rider for it.

The railway administration wants both the Jharkhand and Bihar state government to share fifty per cent of the cost incurred in constructing barracks for the GRP constabulary.

The announcement follows the removal of arms and ammunition from the Gomoh railway station by Dhanbad superintendent of railway police Sanjay Anand Lathkar and his subsequent threat to withdraw personnel from all the government railway police stations.

Lathkar’s move came close on the heels of threats by extremist outfits including the Maoist Communist Centre and the People’s War.

“The railway pays fifty per cent of the total establishment cost of the GRP which is a state government force. It is high time the government provided amenities to the railway police force. We are ready to provide the amenities, but the state has to share fifty percent of the cost incurred in setting up new barracks and railway police stations,” Varshaney said.

The general manager was here to attend a seminar on the white paper on railway safety, which was issued by the Union railway ministry in April. Deliberating on topic, Varshaney expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation, particularly extremist-related violence in railway areas.