Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi’s railway budget has announced formation of a safety board but the ground reality at Pune railway station is grim with the security measures taken two-and-a-half-years-ago being discontinued.
The baggage scanner installed at Pune railway station in the wake of the 9/11 terror attack has not been in use since January as the contract with the supplier to operate the machine has expired.
This baggage scanner has been installed outside platform number one near the entry point of the foot overbridge. It is meant to scan the baggage of passengers entering platform number one and other areas of the station. The scanner had proved useful for Railway Protection Force officials as they were able to identify any suspicious item which was being carried in the baggage.
However, the baggage scanner has been gathering dust since January. The general manager of Central Railway, Subodh Jain, admitted that the scanner is not working since January.
“The machine is in a working condition but the warranty period given by the company has lapsed and the annual maintenance has not been carried out. Hence, the machine is out of use since January. The local railway administration is in talks with the company and things will be sorted out soon.’’
