New Delhi: Indian Railways is stepping up security measures, which are seen as a major step towards tackling the possible threat of bombs in parcel trains arriving in Delhi from Jammu and Kashmir.
Following the increasing terrorist activities in the Kashmir Valley and the recent blasts in sensitive areas, especially the bomb blast outside the Red Fort, the railways prioritised the security of parcel trains.
According to plans, scanning machines will be installed at all major stations, including Kashmir. Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials said that there are plans to install state-of-the-art parcel scanning machines at all major stations, including Kashmir, where parcels are loaded for Delhi-bound trains. The proposal has been formally submitted to the Railway headquarters, and the installation process will begin upon approval, they said.
Manual checking of suspicious parcels, close watch on weapons
In addition to scanning, RPF teams will also conduct separate manual checks of suspicious parcels. This will help prevent any attempts to smuggle explosives, illegal weapons, or suspicious material.
According to officials, terrorist organisations have repeatedly attempted to use cargo coming from Kashmir as a transit medium. In light of the recent increase in activity in the Valley and security threats to the national capital, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has developed an intelligence-based security strategy. The control room, station security, dog squads, and bomb disposal teams are also being placed on high alert.
RPF divisional security commissioner Ashutosh Pandey said, "There are plans to install parcel scanners to ensure parcels arriving in Delhi from sensitive locations like Kashmir are checked before being loaded onto trains. A proposal for this has been submitted to headquarters. Approval and parcel scanner installation are expected soon."