he frequent requests submitted by the Railway police to the Southern Railway authorities to streamline its parcel booking system and ensure accountability on the part of both the sender and receiver of consignments have fallen on deaf ears. With the loopholes in the system, the number of incidents in which banned items are shipped by anonymous people using the railway network, is on the increase.
The laxity comes to light again with the latest seizure of seven bundles of a scented chewing tobacco product sent from Chennai to the Railway’s parcel office in Kozhikode station. Railway police officials attest that they have not received any clue about the sender and receiver involved in the incident as the parcel offices handle the consignments in a “very careless and casual way”.
“Four times I had submitted the request to the Railway authorities to streamline the service and keep an authentic record on people who send and receive consignments shipped through railway network, but, the system still remains the same,” says P. Muraleedharan, a sub inspector who formerly served the Kozhikode railway police station. It is luck that we do not come across any major security threat utilising the loopholes in this system, he adds.
V. Rajagopal, principal sub inspector at the Railway Police station here points out that the parcel service is currently operated without collecting any authentic identity proof of the actual sender and receiver. “It may not be that much easy for the railways to do the same with the steady increase in the regular consignments handled, but, it should be done properly to ensure more transparency in the business,” he adds.
The police officer also says it is high time the railway introduced an effective mechanism to screen all consignments shipped by private courier service providers utilising the railways’ network. “Many a time we see the delivery of such consignments directly from the platform. It should come to an end,” he points out.
Meantime, officials attached to the Railways state that they take utmost care in handling the consignments, but, many a time anonymous carriers misuse the general compartment facilities for the concealed shipping of such banned goods which is also considered as the parcel service teams’ laxity. “Improperly shipped items are always withheld for close inspections. Ultimately, it is our team who alert the police to examine the suspected consignments and conduct further inquiry,” they claim.
I had submitted the request to the Railway authorities to keep a record on people who send and receive consignments shipped through railway network, says a sub inspector.
