Despite its attempts to check theft, the Indian Railways lost properties worth around Rs 40 lakh owing to lax security measures at its godowns and yards last year.
As per latest data, properties worth nearly Rs 39.64 lakh have been stolen from godowns at different Railways divisions and zones last year.
The amount was excluding the loss of additional over Rs 40 lakh borne by different Oil and Petroleum companies in theft while transporting their products in goods trains in 2009.
However, authorities said they arrested 93 persons and detected 52 cases out of the total of 76 registered between January and September 2009.
In 2008, different companies lost oil and petroleum products worth over Rs 3.91 crore and registered about 40 cases of theft with Railways. Authorities recovered goods estimated only over Rs 14 lakh.
When contacted, a senior Railway Ministry official in-charge of security said "the department has beefed up patrolling in yards and other vulnerable area and the number of RPF personnel escorting trains carrying valuable and important consignment have also been increased."
According to the officer, Railway Board has decided to deploy dog squads at its godowns and yards in all 16 zones. A total of 4,149 incidents of murder, dacoity, drugging and robbery were also reported by Railways between January and June last year.
