Red tape is shunting around Railways’ plans to enhance security at Mumbai’s train stations after the July 11 serial blasts last year.

During the week following the six explosions that killed 186 people and one bomber, Western Railways went into swift action installing close circuit television (CCTV) cameras at seven of its 28 suburban railway stations. But a year on, the proposal to install 530 CCTV cameras across the entire suburban network is far from being implemented.

Under pressure to show results before the incident’s first anniversary this Wednesday, the Railways is scrambling to take the 530 CCTVs on rent. This follows a late realisation that it is much easier to hire the devices than get the Rs 45 crore proposal through the circuitous corridors of Rail Bhavan.

“We will buy the CCTV cameras in due time. But for the time being, we are going to procure them on rent. Around Rs 7-9 crores would be paid as annual rent,” said Lalit Kumar, Railway Protection Force’s chief security commissioner for Western Railways.

As it turns out, even the cameras fitted immediately after the blasts were taken on rent.

Meanwhile, nothing much has changed for security on Mumbai’s suburban railway network since the deadly July 11. Despite claims of fast-tracking procurement of security-related equipment, many proposal cleared by the Western Railways are still idling at Rail Bhavan:

• A plan to buy nine X-ray baggage inspection machines, including four for Mumbai, is still just a plan. The reason: any procurement related to machinery has to be included in the Board’s Machinery and Plant (M&P) Programme, which is generally approved in January each year in the run-up to the Rail Budget. “Though this proposal has been included in the M&P programme, it would be cleared only next January,” said an official.

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