NEW DELHI: The number of women constables in
the Railway Protection Force (RPF) is less at present and the
Government has decided to fill up 50 per cent of the 9,000
vacant posts notified with lady constables, Railways Minister
Piyush Goyal said in the Rajya Sabha Friday.
“At present, the percentage of lady constables in RPF is
2.25 per cent. The number (of women constables) is less in the
entire Railways. Keeping this in mind, the prime minister gave
a direction for recruitment,” Goyal said during the Question
Hour in the Upper House.
As a result, the government is recruiting 9,000 more.
“We are focusing on hiring lady constables. We are going
to recruit 4,500 lady constables, 50 per cent of the total
vacant posts notified,” he added.
Responding to a query if the Centre will consider 35 per
cent reservation for women in government jobs in line with the
one given by Bihar government, the minister said, “No such
reservation has been decided at the central level. So there is
no question of backlog.”
Law and order is a state subject. RPF looks into
protection of railways infrastructure, while the Government
Railway Police (GRP) takes care of law and order and it is
under the state government, he said.
Still, the RPF was tagged with the GRP for last two years
and did a good job in the area of women safety and addressing
child abduction cases, he added.
Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi said the
recruitment process is going on.
“Adequate lady constables are recruited by our
government. Already adequate lady constables are there,” he
said.
To another supplementary question on providing walkie
talkie to women constables, both Goyal and Angadi said the
matter will be examined.
Goyal, in a written reply, said the recruitment process
started in 2018. Out of 8619 and 1120 vacancies notified for
constables and sub-inspectors, respectively, 4216 and 201
vacancies, respectively, were reserved for women.
“This process is likely to be completed soon and this will
further increase the number of lady constables and officers in
RPF,” he added. (AGENCIES)
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