Telangana CS wants high standard security for Metro Rail

Hyderabad : Chief Secretary S.P. Singh emphasised on having very high standard security arrangements at Hyderabad Metro Rail stations and other installations.

The Chief Secretary conducted two meetings on security related issues for the Hyderabad Metro Rail project in the last few days with DGP M. Mahender Reddy, Principal Secretary (Home Department) Rajiv Trivedi, HMRL Managing Director NVS Reddy, MA&UD Secretary Navin Mittal, the three Commissioners of Police of the city and other senior Police officers concerned. After detailed discussions, the roles and responsibilities of the Government and the Concessionaire have been clearly identified and CS advised DGP, HMRL MD and DGP (Road Safety) to arrive at the required police strength from government side to perform its responsibilities.

S.P. Singh said there should be more more reliance on technology and sophisticated gadgets and that the police personnel and the private security guards to be deployed by HMRL on behalf of the government should be an efficient force with commuter friendly attitude.

Accordingly, DGP Mahender Reddy, DGP (Road Safety) T. Krishna Prasad and HMRL MD NVS Reddy held a series of brain storming sessions and arrived at a total requirement of 2,078 police personnel including the police officials, Home guards/SPOs/private security guards to be deployed by HMRL.

The force will consist of one DCP, one ADCP, two ACPs and four Inspectors at supervisory level. Apart from locating the main Metro security office in Metro Rail Bhavan, two Metro Rail Police stations will be created at Ameerpet and Parade Grounds interchange stations. For the immediate requirement of the inaugural 30 km stretch and 24 Metro Rail stations, HMRL has been requested by DGP to quickly appoint well experienced private Security service agencies to provide 546 security personnel. These HMRL security personnel and the L&TMRHL security personnel at the Metro Rail stations will be working under three uniformed Police officials per station in each shift, deployed by the Police department (one ASI/Head Constable and two Constables in each shift).

The Metro security wing will be systematically built up over the next one year as a well organized unit which includes even armed components like Quick Response Team (QRT), Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS), Dog Squad, etc. While government police assisted by the security personnel hired by HMRL will take care of all the offences, the DGP has decided that Law & Order Police stations of the three City Police Commissionerates having jurisdiction in coordination with the concerned Traffic PS as well as Crime/CCS Teams, Task Force/SOT, Security Personnel/QRTs/CSGs and SHE Teams will provide overall security to all HMR stations falling in their limits for the time being.

The Concessionaire has already installed highly sophisticated CCTV cameras at all Metro stations and in trains giving 360° coverage, baggage scanners, Door Frame Metal Detectors (DMFD), Hand held Metal Detectors (HHMD), etc. The Concessionaire through its security personnel will perform CCTV monitoring, queuing and maintaining orderly conduct of passengers, Metro station assets and depot security, signal tower security, preventing intrusion on to the Metro Rail track, etc.

As advised by the DGP, HMRL has already called for and opened tenders for appointment of security agencies and the same will be finalized in a day or two.