Siliguri, Dec. 3: The GRP have deployed its rapid action force (RAF) equipped with automatic rifles at New Jalpaiguri (NJP) and four more stations.
For the past two days, the security personnel have also been using sophisticated gadgets to detect explosives and monitoring the movement of passengers at NJP station with the help of video cameras.
“We have taken some extra measures at NJP by deploying the RAF. They have been posted at the entrance and different platforms. The steps were taken after the terrorists attack in Mumbai last week and also following intelligence alerts,” said Sanjib Basu, the superintendent of the railway police of the Siliguri division.
“The RAF have also been deployed at New Cooch Behar, New Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri Road and Malda Town stations,” Basu added.
The official, however, did not divulge the number of personnel deployed.
The Siliguri division of the GRP is entrusted with guarding about 1,200km of railway tracks — from the Sankosh on the Bengal-Assam border to Farakka.
New Jalpaiguri station, 7km from Siliguri, is considered important as about 50 trains carrying more than 50,000 passengers cross it everyday.
“Keeping in mind the importance of NJP, we have started using video cameras to record the movement of passengers who after arriving here leave for different destinations in hired vehicles from the parking lots. Our main objective is to keep a record of the passengers and the vehicles so that they can be tracked in case of any criminal activities,” said an official of the NJP station.
At NJP station, the GRP are using explosive vapour detector, which can smell substances from a distance of about 10 metre.
Deep search metal detectors to detect bombs or electronic circuits that are buried one-and-a-half feet below and remote testing visualise system for unearthing explosives kept inside briefcases or bags are also being used by the policemen.