Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Indian Railways is committed to take continuous preventive measures to protect and safeguard railway passengers, passenger area and railway property. RPF is entrusted with the responsibility of security of railway property, passenger area and passengers. The force has been working round the clock for providing safe, secure and comfortable travel experience to the passengers. It helps Indian Railways in providing safe freight transport service to its customers. RPF has ably discharged the responsibility of protection of huge assets of railways spread far and wide across the country by taking preventive measures as well as measures for detection of crime against railway property.
A brief of the achievements of RPF during the Financial Year 2022 – 2023 is as under –
Rescue of children & Operation Nanhe Faristey:- Ministry of Railways in collaboration with Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) issued Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on 05/03/2015 for better care and protection of children in distress in contact with Railways. In order to include all the prevalent guidelines/ provisions/instructions/directives etc. in the SOP, a ‘Revised SOP for the Railways’ 2021 has been issued on 23.12.2021. In accordance with SOP, presently CHDs are operational at 143 railway stations. RPF has played important role in reuniting the children lost/separated due to several reasons from their family and rescued more than 17000 Children in need of care & protection who came in contact with Indian Railways during the period i.e. FY 2022 – 2023
In this regard, an intensive drive viz. ‘NanheFaristey’ has been launched on Indian Railways to rescue children in need of care and protection found in trains/railway station and this is showing remarkable results.
Human Trafficking & Operation AAHT– In order to have an effective mechanism to avert endeavours of the Human traffickers, as per Standard Operating Procedure issued in 2022, Anti Human Trafficking Units of RPF are operational at the post level(Thana level) at more than 740 locations over the Indian Railways. These AHTUs are in regular touch with agencies involved in preventing human trafficking and have assisted them in rescue of children being trafficked. During the FY (2022 – 2023), 604 persons were rescued from the clutches of traffickers with arrest of 207 traffickers. RPF has signed an MoU with Association of Voluntary Action (a foundation of Nobel Laureate Sri Kailash Satyarthi) also known as BachpanBachaoAndolan on 06.05.2022 for association in capacity building of RPF & Railway men raid, rescue and sharing of information on Human Trafficking. Further to strengthen the AHTUs being operated by RPF, MHA has sanctioned an amount of Rs. 12.6 Cr.