Questions raised over lax security at Margao railway station close to festive season

It was around 12.30 pm on Sunday. Passengers with baggage in tow moved and out of the main entrance of the Margao railway station, but both, Railway Protection Force and the Konkan Railway police station, personnel were missing in action.   

A help desk located right on the right side of the station entrance was occupied by a couple of lady passengers. The entrance plays host to metal detectors, but hardly any passengers were found moving through the frames.   

The situation threw up a host of questions on the security front, more so when Goa is a favourite destination for tourists to celebrate the ensuing Christmas and New Year festivities.   

When The Goan called up the district police chief, SP, South Arvind Gawas, to find out whether there’s no checking of passengers at the entrance to the Margao railway station, he said the Railway Protection Force is entrusted with this task.   

When his attention was drawn to the fact that there was no major presence of the men in khaki at the main entrance, he said the Konkan railway police personnel are drafted for patrolling on the station platforms and to investigate into criminal activities.   

SP Gawas, however, said that the Margao railway station has been brought under the CCTV surveillance cameras cover, with the RPF personnel monitoring the movements of suspicious persons.   

When The Goan contacted a RPF official to shed light on the security at the Margao railway station, he said the station entrance does play host to metal detectors. He, however, promised to find out whether passengers enter and exit from the railway station without passing through the metal detector frame want of any police personnel around.   

The Margao railway station is an important railway station on the Konkan railway route. It is a major station with all long distance trains making a halt. In the past, security in and around the station was beefed up every year ahead of the Christmas and New Year festivities with the personnel even erecting bunkers in and around as a security measure.