At least nine members of a Railway Protection Force (RPF) team of 28 personnel ferrying ammunition from New Delhi to Kharagpur, West Bengal, were found to be infected with COVID-19.
According to Railways authorities, the RPF team of South Eastern Railway (SER) zone, which were stuck in Delhi due to the nationwide lockdown, had to travel back to Kolkata (Howrah junction) in a special parcel train as there was “scarcity of ammunition” in the zone and no passenger train was available.
Passenger services were stopped on March 23 for the nationwide lockdown. Therefore, the 28-member ammunition-collecting contingent had to camp in the barracks of Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) 6 Battalion (BN) Dayabasti, Delhi, till April 12. They had arrived in Delhi on March 19.
“Since there was scarcity of ammunition with RPF in SER, the ammunition-collecting contingent was advised to move by suitable parcel train from Delhi on April 13,“ a Railways official said, adding that “It is pertinent to note that on-duty movement of armed forces was exempted from the restrictions imposed during the lockdown.”
Subsequently, RPF team, along with their arms and stock of ammunition, proceeded by a parcel special train from New Delhi to Howrah on April 13. On the next day, the contingent, after reaching Howrah station, moved in RPF bus to Kharagpur.
Railways clarified that the staff posted at en-route stations de-boarded from the bus during the journey and were quarantined in their respective barracks. Rest of the staff with ammunition reached Kharagpur on afternoon of April 14. RPF also said that a constable boarded another parcel train from Kharagpur and reached Balasore on night of April 14, where he was also quarantined like other staff. This constable developed a mild fever on the next day and later on he was tested for coronavirus infection. Subsequently, he was kept in quarantine in a separate room at RPF barrack at Balasore. Finally, on April 20, he was confirmed as being positive for COVID-19. Immediately, the other staff of the contingent were tested.
“The results of 24 members of the contingent have been received, out of which eight members have been declared positive for COVID. Therefore, a total of 9 RPF personnel out of the contingent of 28 have been tested as positive for COVID. The reports of four are awaited,” A Railways official said.
Meanwhile, a fact-finding committee has been set up to ascertain the circumstances under which some of the RPF personnel of the contingent got infected.
“It is also clarified that these RPF personnel, while undertaking journey, did not come in contact with any public,” said a senior Railways official, adding that there has not been any violation of the guidelines issued for management of COVID-19 by the Central government or any state government.
Meanwhile, giving a political twist to the episode, Derek O'Brien, a Member of Parliament of Trinamool Congress, has flagged the issue by asking questions like,” who sent them [RPF personnel]''.
