GRP & RPF Missing, Auto Mafia Rules. Anarchy Continues At Nagpur Rly Stn | Nagpur News

Nagpur: Nothing seems to have changed on the ground at Nagpur railway station, despite a strong intent in the railways brass to end the chaos with passengers continuing to suffer at the hands of the auto mafia. Here, the railway leadership’s intent collides with the institutional inertia of Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF), who are nowhere to be seen. “Do the railways have a protection force at Nagpur station? If GRP exists, where are they? Why are they paid salaries by the govt,” asked a harried passenger, after being harassed and fleeced by autowallahs, who rule the roost from Platform No. 1 to the road leading out of Nagpur railway station. The scenario is similar on the eastern flank of the station.Passengers stepping off trains are approached, harassed and coerced right from the platform through the porch, circulating area and even up to the station road, turning the premises into a free zone for illegal operators. Commuters still have to trek 500m to board an app-based cab as drivers still fear the auto mafia and refuse to enter the station premises.The menace extends to the Foot Over Bridges (FOBs) within the railway premises, where unauthorised soliciting is visible at any point of the day. “Auto drivers freely target passengers alighting from long-distance trains without any intervention,” a woman passenger told TOI on Friday.A similar alarming situation exists at Ajni railway station, where the visible absence of GRP and RPF has allowed the auto mafia to dominate platforms to the outer areas. Passengers, including women, elderly citizens and families, face consistent harassment, overcharging and intimidation despite repeated objections and complaints highlighting the chaos.Senior divisional security commissioner Manoj Kumar of Railway Protection Force, Nagpur Division, Central Railway, acknowledged the gravity of the situation. He has written to the Traffic Police and indicated plans for a joint drive against auto-rickshaw drivers operating inside railway premises.The move is aimed at restoring order and providing relief to harassed passengers at both major stations under the Nagpur division.The unchecked dominance of the autorickshaw mafia in the absence of GRP and RPF has severely affected thousands of daily passengers using Nagpur as a key railway junction. The proposed joint drive of RPF and Traffic Police is seen as a much-needed step. Officials hope coordinated action will include stricter patrolling, removal of unauthorised operators from sensitive areas as well as sustained enforcement to prevent recurrence.