In wake of the upcoming month-long Shravani Mela in Deoghar of Jharkhand, face reading system technology will be introduced at all the major railway stations under Asansol Division of Eastern Railway, including Asansol railway station to nab hardcore interstate criminal movements.

Mr Rahul Raj, senior divisional security commissioner of Asansol has informed that the face reading system will help the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) to recognize the faces of dreaded and hardcore inter-state criminals, who are moving in trains and boarding through these railway stations.

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Providing safety and security to pilgrims and tourists and passengers of Shravani Mela is a big task for the RPF of Asansol division. Every year several lakh devotees come to Deogarh to offer water and puja at the Basukinath temple from all over the country.

The divisional railway arranges additional seating capacity, drinking water and other safety precautionary measures for the Shravani Mela every year.

At present, work is on for restoration and renovation and upgradation of Asansol railway station, under the Amrit Bharat scheme.

The Asansol Railway division has planned to set up face reading technology fitted with close circuit television (CCTV) sets on 53 railway stations under the division.

The facial recognition system will help both RPF and GRP to remain alert on the suspected movements of the notorious criminals during the festive seasons through these railway stations and nab them.

Face recognition is an application-oriented technology and helps immensely to accurately match with live facial movements.

“A database of 200 hardcore and notorious inter-state criminals will be uploaded in the database which the face recognition system will automatically be able to match swiftly,” Mr Rahul Raj added.

In the first phase, the face recognition system will be fitted in railway stations like Asansol, Jasidih, Basukinath, Deoghar, Chittaranjan, Madhupur, Andal, Raniganj, Durgapur etc.

There have been many cases of theft and dacoity during this period in the past. Drug peddlers also become very much active during this period.

The Asansol Railway division security unit of RPF will also share the database and the inputs with their counterparts in other railway divisions.

Railways made elaborate arrangements for the convenience of pilgrims like ‘May I Help You Booth’, adequate drinking water facility, extra booking counters, cleanliness and sanitation at stations, additional shelters in the circulating area during the Shravani Mela. Eastern Railway officers and supervisors are also closely monitoring the comfort of the pilgrims at these stations.

The Shravani Mela will be inaugurated on 21 July and the month-long mela will start from the day after.