A railways policeman injured himself saving a motorman from a mob and then underwent surgery at a hospital not run by the Railways. This was after his colleagues advised him against going to a railway hospital, saying he would not get admission and the Railways would not pay for his treatment, wherever he went.

The policeman, a state government employee, said he had to pay for his treatment himself. The Government Railway Police is an arm of the state police and the Railways, a central government entity, expects the state government to take care of GRP personnel. Salaries of GRP staff are shared by the state government and the Railways.

Ramesh Pawar, inspector at Vasai station, fractured his nose and injured his jaw in the recent riot-like situation in Nalasopara, when he saved the life of a motorman. Rather than take admission to a railway hospital, he went to Alliance Hospital at Nalasopara and was later shifted to Nalavati Hospital at Vile Parle, where he had to undergo jaw surgery, at his cost.

SS Gupta, chief spoksesperson for WR, said, “In accidents, railways pays the medical expenses of commuters but GRP personnel are not covered. They are employees of the state government and have medical insurance. In such cases, why are their bills not paid by the state government immediately?”

Anil Jairam Barve, GRP head constable at Bandra station, said, “The railways did not help Pawar in any way. A doctor went to see Pawar but he told us that the Railways could not bear his medical expenses, that as per rules, the state government would have to bear such expenses. He was considering admission to Jagjivan Ram Railway Hospital, but I told him that in the past, many railway policemen were denied admission. Once, the Railways had refused to treat me at Babasaheb Ambedkar Railway Hospital at Byculla”

... contd.