Against the requirement of 3,000 personnel (according to a survey conducted by the DMRC and the Central Industrial Security Force in 2007), only 1,800 CISF personnel are deployed at Metro stations, a source said.

Now, the crunch has compelled the security staff to work without any offs.

They work, officially, seven days a week; eight hours a day. Often, they manage to squeeze in one off every month.

“The number of stations have gone up; we can’t leave access points vacant. There is no other option but to stretch limits and make adjustments,” CISF spokesperson Rohit Katiyar said.

The CISF works on a cost reimbursement basis with the DMRC, which spends approximately Rs 3.5 crore every month on security.

According to sources, the CISF has not yet received an approval from the DMRC to increase its manpower.

Only after an approval from the DMRC, the CISF will send a report to the Ministry of Home Affairs to have more manpower.

“There is a shortage of staff. Our personnel deputed at Metro stations manage to get just one off in a month,” a senior CISF official said on condition of anonymity.

“They work in shifts during peak hours — four hours during morning peak hours and four during the evening hours. They are allowed to go back during the day,” he added.