Ranchi: Security screening at Hatia railway station has been operating with just one baggage scanner for nearly a week, raising concerns about passenger safety ahead of the festive rush.The second scanner has remained defunct, leaving the station dependent on a single operational machine as footfall is expected to rise during Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath. A railway official said Hatia records a daily footfall of at least 10,000 passengers.A check by TOI on Sunday found passengers carrying luggage entering the station without stopping at the functioning scanner. Railway police personnel on duty said they monitored the entry point to ensure that passengers got their baggage screened.A railway police officer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said one of the two scanners had been out of order for nearly a week.Hatia railway police station officer in-charge Rupesh Kumar said the matter had been brought to the notice of authorities and the machine would be repaired soon.“At any given time, we operate only one of the two machines, so it is not creating any problem. As far as passengers going unchecked is concerned, I do not agree with that. We ensure that everybody is checked at the station. RPF personnel deployed at the entry gate also strictly monitor the situation,” Kumar told TOI.However, people who spend long hours at the station said baggage screening was rarely followed in practice. Auto-rickshaw driver Anuj Singh, who regularly waits outside the station to ferry passengers, said he seldom saw travellers using the scanner.“Hardly anyone uses the machine and police personnel also don’t ensure that. Screening should be made mandatory as laxity can jeopardise the safety of thousands of passengers,” Singh said.
