destiny
FULL MEMBER
New Recruit
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2009
- Messages
- 80
- Reaction score
- 0
Central Railway gets specially trained RPF commandos - Mumbai - City - NEWS - The Times of India
Central Railway gets specially trained RPF commandos
Roana Maria Costa, TNN 28 August 2009, 05:02am IST
MUMBAI: For the first time ever, the Central Railway (CR) has its own terror fighting force, and the good news is that it is already in place at
Chatrapathi Shivaji Railway Terminus (CST). Hand-picked among 4,000-odd Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel of the Central Railway are 36 men who have endured months of training to emerge as lean, mean commandos. Dressed in black, they made their presence felt at the historic terminus on Thursday where they patrolled with Insas guns.
Highly placed sources told TOI that the team was formed by the RPF, and preparations were set in motion after the 26\11 attacks. Inspector General (CR), RPF, B S Sidhu said, "After every attack, a new system is set in place. Some of the systems are long-term. What we saw was that our men lacked regular training and were not entirely prepared for all eventualities.''
Most of the RPF enter a shooting range once a year in an ideal situation and so their reflexes are not honed, nor are they psychologically prepared as 99% of the time, their duties are mainly commuter-centric, admitted sources. "They are clearly unfamiliar to armed responses,'' said a source. The men, the cream of the lot, were put through a three-tier training. In addition to this they have to attend a refresher course every three months. "Each commando will work for six hours a day and will have to keep fit. It is compulsory for them to train at the gum for two hours. A room where a gym will be set up has been allocated at CST,'' said Sidhu. This emphasis on fitness and compulsory workouts is another first for the RPF.
The six-hour shifts will not be continuous; it will be broken up into two three-hour slots, with a three-hour gap in between. The men can decide when they want to hit the gym.
Sidhu said that he plans to increase the strength of the team to anywhere between 50 and 60. To start with, the existing commandos will be stationed at CST, but they won't necessarily be confined there. "The team will work as a striking force. As there are no emergencies all the time they will be used for patrolling,'' he said.
The commandos will be used in cases of armed attacks, lower-level violent agitations, armed robberies, armed threats from organisations, and will work as an armed response team. However, they are not yet equipped with bullet-proof jackets. These, said Sidhi, will be procured in the near future.
Central Railway gets specially trained RPF commandos
Roana Maria Costa, TNN 28 August 2009, 05:02am IST
MUMBAI: For the first time ever, the Central Railway (CR) has its own terror fighting force, and the good news is that it is already in place at
Chatrapathi Shivaji Railway Terminus (CST). Hand-picked among 4,000-odd Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel of the Central Railway are 36 men who have endured months of training to emerge as lean, mean commandos. Dressed in black, they made their presence felt at the historic terminus on Thursday where they patrolled with Insas guns.
Highly placed sources told TOI that the team was formed by the RPF, and preparations were set in motion after the 26\11 attacks. Inspector General (CR), RPF, B S Sidhu said, "After every attack, a new system is set in place. Some of the systems are long-term. What we saw was that our men lacked regular training and were not entirely prepared for all eventualities.''
Most of the RPF enter a shooting range once a year in an ideal situation and so their reflexes are not honed, nor are they psychologically prepared as 99% of the time, their duties are mainly commuter-centric, admitted sources. "They are clearly unfamiliar to armed responses,'' said a source. The men, the cream of the lot, were put through a three-tier training. In addition to this they have to attend a refresher course every three months. "Each commando will work for six hours a day and will have to keep fit. It is compulsory for them to train at the gum for two hours. A room where a gym will be set up has been allocated at CST,'' said Sidhu. This emphasis on fitness and compulsory workouts is another first for the RPF.
The six-hour shifts will not be continuous; it will be broken up into two three-hour slots, with a three-hour gap in between. The men can decide when they want to hit the gym.
Sidhu said that he plans to increase the strength of the team to anywhere between 50 and 60. To start with, the existing commandos will be stationed at CST, but they won't necessarily be confined there. "The team will work as a striking force. As there are no emergencies all the time they will be used for patrolling,'' he said.
The commandos will be used in cases of armed attacks, lower-level violent agitations, armed robberies, armed threats from organisations, and will work as an armed response team. However, they are not yet equipped with bullet-proof jackets. These, said Sidhi, will be procured in the near future.
}
