At present, around 200 RPF personnel are stationed in the 23 metro stations, along with nearly 500 personnel from the Kolkata Police.

“The multiplicity of agents was creating a confusion,” said SK Das, the Chief Operations Manager of Metro Railways. “At times the personnel were overstepping into each other’s domain.”

The decision was made after watching the tremendous success of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, the entire security of which is handled by the Central Industry Security Force (CISF). “We will have the RPF in their place,” he added.

The idea was first raised during a meeting on Metro security in June between the Union Home Secretary, the Director General of RPF, West Bengal DGP, state Home Secretary and representatives of the National Security Guard and Intelligence Bureau. In a follow-up meeting on July 13, presided over by G. K Pillai, the policy decision was taken.

A proposal has already been placed, which says about 800 new personnel are required.

The Railway Ministry has decided to complete the work in three phases, since so many men cannot be examined, recruited and trained within a short period.

In Phase One — scheduled to be completed by December 2010 — RPF personnel are going to take charge of stations from new Garia station to Mahanayak Uttam Kumar station.

In fact, the RPF has taken over the security of stations from from Mahanayak Uttam Kumar station to Kavi Nazrul station since the first week of August. The RPF personnel — along with the Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) — are manning the route independent of Kolkata police.

In Phase Two — to be completed by June 2011 — the RPF will take charge of stations between Shahid Khudiram and Chandni Chowk. In the last phase — ending in December 2011 — they will take charge of stations from Chandni Chowk to Dumdum.

As long as the forces are not ready, the Kolkata police personnel will help them discharge their duties.

“But since law and order is a state subject, the RPF will hand over criminals to the local police,” said a senior metro official.

“We were finding it difficult to manage our duties in the metro stations owing to a serious dearth of manpower,” said Commissioner of Police Goutam Mohan Chakroborty.

Duties like frisking commuters and checking unauthorised entry was getting hampered due to confusion of jurisdiction. “When we wrote to the Railways asking them to recruit 685 policemen, they said they want to press RPF into service and hence we have decided to hand over Metro security to the RPF,” Chakraborty said.

At present, around 200 RPF personnel are stationed in the 23 metro stations, along with nearly 500 personnel from the Kolkata Police.

“The multiplicity of agents was creating a confusion,” said SK Das, the Chief Operations Manager of Metro Railways. “At times the personnel were overstepping into each other’s domain.”

The decision was made after watching the tremendous success of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, the entire security of which is handled by the Central Industry Security Force (CISF). “We will have the RPF in their place,” he added.

The idea was first raised during a meeting on Metro security in June between the Union Home Secretary, the Director General of RPF, West Bengal DGP, state Home Secretary and representatives of the National Security Guard and Intelligence Bureau. In a follow-up meeting on July 13, presided over by G. K Pillai, the policy decision was taken.

A proposal has already been placed, which says about 800 new personnel are required.

The Railway Ministry has decided to complete the work in three phases, since so many men cannot be examined, recruited and trained within a short period.

In Phase One — scheduled to be completed by December 2010 — RPF personnel are going to take charge of stations from new Garia station to Mahanayak Uttam Kumar station.

In fact, the RPF has taken over the security of stations from from Mahanayak Uttam Kumar station to Kavi Nazrul station since the first week of August. The RPF personnel — along with the Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) — are manning the route independent of Kolkata police.

In Phase Two — to be completed by June 2011 — the RPF will take charge of stations between Shahid Khudiram and Chandni Chowk. In the last phase — ending in December 2011 — they will take charge of stations from Chandni Chowk to Dumdum.

As long as the forces are not ready, the Kolkata police personnel will help them discharge their duties.

“But since law and order is a state subject, the RPF will hand over criminals to the local police,” said a senior metro official.

“We were finding it difficult to manage our duties in the metro stations owing to a serious dearth of manpower,” said Commissioner of Police Goutam Mohan Chakroborty.