Money changes hands fast here, but even more slippery are the operators of these dens, who are said to remain afloat with the connivance of the authorities. Whether it's located near the Dinesh Mills at Akota, or behind the Lalbaug swimming pool, or near Chhayapuri at Chhani, the dens take advantage of the fact that there are no residential colonies nearby.

``There are no regular police crackdowns on these areas'', said a Railway official. ``The slum-dwellers, who live nearby, would be the last to complain, since they are the ones to supply liquor to the dens.''Apart from liquor, the dens offer aankda (the number game) and matka.

The rates depend on the availability of clients and their ability to pay; the `investment' could begin with 50 paise and the returns can range upto Rs 50,000 each night.

Though it is the Railway image that is taking a beating -- the den near the Pratapnagar yard even uses railway electricity, according to an official -- the railway police is doing precious little about it. DySP B R Simpi, who was in charge of the Gujarat Railway Protection Force till recently, shrugged off the responsibility. ``What do we do? We raid them, and then they surface again'', he said.

Officials of the Railway Protection Force, meanwhile, asserted that their duties were restricted to taking care of railway property; anything beyond that would be beyond the call of duty. Divisional Railway Manager K C Jena, too, pointed out that they had no power to make arrests, which limited their effectiveness.

Senior divisional officials, however, believe regular raids and coordination between the GRPF and the Railways can take care of the evil. ``If we have information on something, we let the GRPF know, but they should inform us about their raids, as that will promote better relations between the two agencies'', said an official.

``It will also allow railway officials to keep regular tabs on the anti-social activities.''