New Delhi: The Ministry of Railways said in a statement on Wednesday that Railway Protection Force (RPF) launched a month-long Pan India special drive during April to address two critical challenges to railway security. "The first challenge was to identify criminals involved in touting, including the touting of railway e-tickets, and take suitable action against them under provisions of the law. The second drive was to identify black spots and vulnerable trains prone to incidents of stone pelting and take all necessary measures to curb this menace," it added.
During the drive, "RPF personnel conducted regular inspections at railway stations, reservation counters and online content to detect and apprehend unauthorised ticket booking agents," said the statement. "They also educated the public on the dangers of booking tickets through unauthorised agents and encouraged them to use legitimate means to purchase tickets. As a result of these efforts, the RPF disrupted more than 42 illegal softwares with the arrest of 955 touts, developers, super sellers, sellers, and retailers of such illegal softwares," it added.
The RPF also noticed a sudden increase of stone pelting incidents on running trains. To address this issue, the RPF conducted awareness drives among public and made them aware of the consequences of stone pelting by working closely with local authorities and village administrations, such as Gram Panchayats and their representatives, schools, settlements along the track, and colleges. "Notices and pamphlets were published in newspapers, and leaflets were distributed among the public to raise awareness of this issue. In addition, RPF took several other measures, such as supplementing deployment at black spots, train escorting, and a drive against trespassers, leading to the apprehension of 2773 individuals under the provisions of the Railways Act," the statement added.
"RPF also arranged for special coordinated meetings with police, intelligence agencies, and other law enforcement agencies in this regard, resulting in the arrest of 84 persons for committing this offence," said the statement.
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