Now, row over powers for railway police

NEW DELHI: After a row over the National Counter Terrorism Centre, another one was brewing between the Centre and states over the government’s plans to empower Railway Protection Force with police powers. Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi termed the proposal as yet another blow to the federal structure and alleged that the Centre had gone “berserk in trampling over jurisdiction of states”.

The legislation seeks withdrawal of the Government Railway Police, controlled by state government and empowering RPF with policing power to deal with crimes, including drugging and robberies in trains and stations. At present, GRP is responsible for dealing with crime at railway stations and trains, while RPF’s role is restricted to protecting railway properties.

In a strong-worded letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Modi said conferring powers of state police officers to RPF was “unwarranted, violation of the constitutional spirit and blow to the federal structure of India. It also usurps power of the state legislature”.

He said provisions being inserted by the proposed amendment of the 1957 Act were not in consonance with schemes provided under Article 246 of the Constitution. Pointing out that public order and police were state subjects, he said an amendment would be a step to infringe upon powers of the state. The proposed amendment is intended to confer “powers of the police officers”, which is otherwise provided under Indian Police Act, 1861, only, to RPF, Modi said.

“Recently, National Counter Terrorism Centre was notified unilaterally in violation of the constitutional provisions and many states have taken strong objections to it. In continuation of this, a bill to give police powers to RPF is being mooted, which again is another attempt to curtail state's powers...” he said.

Modi also vented his anger on Twitter: “RPF amendment aims to give policing powers for the first time to a paramilitary unit.

UPA is advocating a theory of state within a state!” He said such a move would open a pandora’s box. “Centre has gone berserk in trampling with the jurisdiction of states & it's becoming increasingly evident from such consecutive actions,” he tweeted.

Modi’s opposition portends hurdles for legislation, which the government was planning to bring during the budget session beginning next month. While West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was leading the campaign against NCTC, she would be in the line of opposition fire on the RPF amendment as the railways portfolio is held by Trinamool Congress’ Dinesh Trivedi.