Tamil Nadu’s Government Railway Police strength remains unchanged since 1989

Southern Railway GRP needs manpower increase for passenger safety, building maintenance, and better facilities, with pending reimbursements from Railway.

While the number of trains and passengers have increased phenomenally over the years in the Southern Railway, the strength of the Government Railway Police (GRP) has remained unchanged since 1989. Despite increasing threat perceptions and responsibilities in safeguarding the life and property of passengers, not a single police constable has been added to the force.

In its final report submitted to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, the Tamil Nadu Fifth Police Commission said there was an urgent need to increase the manpower of GRP by 50% to give a sense of safety and security to railway passengers in the State. Tamil Nadu government may prevail upon the railway authorities to enhance the strength and also bear 50% of the expenditure on the cost.

The GRP, a wing of the Tamil Nadu police, has about 1,800 personnel in different ranks deployed across major railway stations in the State. The commission expressed concern that the construction, renovation and maintenance of buildings for GRP stood totally neglected. It recommended that steps be taken on a priority basis to make available residential quarters to the police personnel at various locations in the zone and also to establish basic facilities such as rest rooms, waiting rooms and lock up rooms in all GRP stations on par with the Railway Protection Force (RPF).

“The conditions that exist in GRP are unsatisfactory. RPF is on a much better footing than the GRP in terms of manpower position and privileges, but GRP plays the major role in maintenance of law-and-order duties on railway premises. Manpower increase has not kept pace with the increase in the number of trains and number of passengers.”

Railway sources said though the Tamil Nadu government had sanctioned additional strength in small numbers in different ranks, the postings were pending sanction from the Railway Board.

Significantly, the Commission pointed out that the Southern Railway had not reimbursed 50% cost of GRP manpower for the years 2018-19 to 2021-22 and Contributory Pension Fund for 2013-14 to the tune of ₹167 crore. It was recommended to the State government to take up the matter with the railway authorities for reimbursing ₹167,79,71,987 due to Tamil Nadu.

Part payments were made by the Ministry of Railways in the recent months bringing down the dues from ₹220 crore to about ₹165 crore. There was a delay on the part of the State in claiming the reimbursement during the pandemic, sources told.