MUMBAI, November 18: The Indian Railways, already starved of funds, has failed to pay the state government Rs 56 crore accrued over 17 years for deploying police personnel to protect its properties and maintain law and order.

State police personnel has been deployed on the Central, Western, South Central and South Eastern Railways within the boundaries of the state. The dues have been accumulating since 1979 and, till date, the Government Railway Police (GRP) has not been paid nearly half of the total outstanding of Rs 116 crore.

``It is getting increasingly difficult to manage certain expenses at times,'' quipped a railway official who did not want to be named. The cash crunch, however, has not affected the railway police in performing their duties. ``The money will certainly help upgrade the police functioning with computerisation and other hi-tech equipment,'' he further stated.

The railway administration and the state government shared the expenditure on the railway police on a 50:50 basis by book adjustment till financial year 1979-80, reads a state government note prepared on the progress of the issue, a copy of which is in the possession of Express Newsline. Later, it was decided that the dues will be made good by direct payment and cash transfers to the state exchequer.

After failing to get any response from the railway administration despite follow-ups, the government has taken up the matter directly with the railway ministry, sources at the Special IGP (Railways) office said adding that the concerned railways have also been informed of the progress. Several state Members of Parliament also pursued the matter with the railway ministry only to receive verbal promises of early settlement.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.