Railway forms fact finding committee as 9 RPF personnel tested Corona Positive after reaching Kharagpur by Special train

As per Indian Railway 28 RPF personnel came by special train and subsequently by bus to Kharagpur on 14.04.2020 out of which 9 RPF personnel have been detected as positive for COVID. With reference to the matter, the factual details are reproduced below:

The RPF contingent of South Eastern Railway (SER) left Kharagpur for Anand Vihar on 19/03/2020 by train 12443 with a purpose to collect ammunition for RPF of SER. The contingent arrived at Anand Vihar on 20/03/2020. The ammunition collecting contingent arrived at Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) 6 Battalion (BN) Dayabasti to deposit arms on 20th March 2020.

Passenger services were stopped on 23rd March and a lockdown was announced by PM on 24th March evening. Therefore, the members of the above contingent stayed from 19th March to 12th April in RPF/RPSF barracks in Dayabasti, Delhi.

Railway decided to run parcel special trains for transportation of essential goods during lockdown. Subsequently, the parcel special trains started from 31 March 2020. Since there was scarcity of ammunition with RPF in SER, The ammunition collecting contingent was advised to move by suitable parcel train from Delhi. It is pertinent to note that the on duty movement of armed forces was exempted from the restrictions imposed during the lockdown.

The contingent collected their arms and stock of ammunition on 12th and proceeded by parcel special 00326 on 13th early morning from NDLS to HWH. The contingent reached Howrah on 14th April 2020 morning at about 0840 hrs and proceeded by RPF bus to Kharagpur. Staff posted at en-route stations deboarded from bus during the road journey. They were quarantined in respective barracks. Rest of the staff with ammunition were taken to Kharagpur. The Bus arrived at Kharagpur at 13.30 hrs of 14th April.

One constable boarded another parcel train from Kharagpur and reached Balasore on 14th night. He was also quarantined like other staff. He developed slight fever on 15th and taken to Government Hospital Balasore on 16th where he was tested for corona infection. Subsequently, he was kept in quarantine in a separate room at RPF barrack Balasore. His results came positive on 20th. Immediately, the other staff of the contingent were got tested.

The results of 24 members of the contingent have been received out of which, 8 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 other 4 are awaited.

It is informed that all the 28 RPF personnel have already been tested and no one is left for testing. It is also clarified that these RPF personnel, while undertaking journey did not come in contact with any public. There has not been any violation of the guidelines issued for management of COVID-19 by the Central Government or any state government.

Nonetheless, a fact finding committee has been constituted to ascertain the circumstances under which some of the RPF personnel of the contingent got infected.

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