PALAKKAD: The security measures for woman commuters in ladies compartments which were beefed up in the aftermath of the death of Soumya at Vallathol Nagar near Shoranur continue to be slack even now.In the Palakkad divisional headquarters of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), there were only four women personnel, of whom one is a sub-inspector. Therefore, the main demand that the RPF officials should escort passenger trains from 6 pm to 6 am is hardly observed for lack of staff. “A large number of vacancies in both the Railway Protection Force as well as the Government Railway Police are lying unfilled. Therefore, now they are clinging on to the ruse that there is a shortage of staff to escort the trains. The RPF was citing technical difficulties stating that male police personnel need the permission of the guard if they were to board the ladies compartments,” Malabar Rail Users Association secretary C E Chathunni said. He said that the association had put forth 10 suggestions which were yet to be implemented. Chathunni said that the helpline number displayed on ladies compartments were very small. Similarly, the complaints and suggestions book for woman passengers is kept in the guard room and not in the ladies compartments.“The suggestion that the ladies compartment be moved to the middle of the train so that they are safe has also not been implemented,” Malabar Rail Users Association president U K Damodaran said.The Railway sources point out that the Government Railway Police (GRP) have the power to register a case and investigate a crime committed on the premises of the Railways. Meanwhile, Divisional Security Commissioner of the RPF George Mathew when contacted said that police escorts were being provided on most of the passenger trains and there were enough personnel.
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