Date:04/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/04/stories/2006040418730900.htm

National

Separate force to provide security for Delhi Metro under study

Vinay Kumar

Three-layered plan will need the deployment of 3,000 trained personnel

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Metro is considered to be a "soft" target for terrorists and anti-national elements. Faced with the challenging task of providing foolproof security cover to the network, the Centre on Monday indicated that a separate, dedicated security force could be created to guard the Metro.

As a first step towards carving out a specialised, separate force, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Monday presided over a high-level meeting that strongly favoured such a suggestion. Though it may take a couple of weeks before a formal decision is taken by the Ministry, official sources feel that initial hurdles have been cleared and procedural hiccups can be overcome soon.

Tough challenge

Providing a foolproof security cover to the 62-km-long network that runs both underground and over the surface has been a tough challenge for security agencies and the police.

At Monday's meeting, attended by Home Secretary V.K. Duggal, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation chief E. Sreedharan, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) chief S.I.S. Ahmed and Delhi Police Commissioner K.K. Paul, a detailed presentation was made by the CISF favouring a separate force to guard the Metro. It found ready support from all, but the Home Secretary was asked to review the plan in detail over the next two weeks.

According to an initial estimate, the three-layered security plan will need the deployment of about 3,000 trained personnel. The force will be equipped with modern gadgets and trained in anti-sabotage and anti-terrorist operations, according to sources.

London blasts

The meeting also discussed last July's bomb blasts in the London underground train network and it was decided to formulate and fine-tune the security plan keeping in view the possibility of a similar terror strike in the capital. The security plan focuses on preventing smuggling of explosives.

Sources say that precedents of the National Security Guard (NSG), as a specialist anti-terrorist, anti-sabotage crack force, and the elite Special Protection Group (SPG), which provides proximate security to the Prime Minister and former Prime Ministers, were also considered.

Huge expenditure

Both the NSG and the SPG have police and security personnel, drawn from the Central Para-Military Forces (CPMFs), the State police forces and the Army. Such a separate entity can incur an expenditure of about Rs. 50 crore every year.

At present, the security of the Metro is managed by the Delhi Police and the CISF; their personnel also travel in the trains.

Hi-tech systems

The security plan includes access control system, extensive use of closed-circuit televisions, security control rooms in each station and personnel in running trains.

Dog squads will be used in a big way to detect explosives.