For the past two years, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) that secures the Delhi Metro, is struggling to procure five real-time viewing systems (RTVS), a hand-held x-ray scanner device, used by the CISF’s bomb detection and disposal squad to scan unidentified and unattended bags found in the Delhi metro.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) that has to procure these equipment has been sent repeated reminders since 2019, but no step has been taken so far, officials aware of the matter told CNN news18.
An RTVS is one of the equipment used in very initial stages of any bomb detection operation. It scans suspicious packages and reveals what is inside of it. At present, the CISF that secures 253 Delhi metro stations spread across ten different lines, only has three RTVS left with them after five of the eight RTVS were decommissioned in 2019.
In this regard, the first intimation was sent by the CISF to DMRC in September 2019. “Since then, repeated reminders have been sent but the procurement could not be completed. The proposal is still pending,” an official said on condition of anonymity.
A DMRC spokesperson, when contacted, declined to comment on the status of the proposal.
Deputy Inspector General (CISF) Jitender Rana, however, confirmed that the proposal to procure new RTVS is currently under process.
In the past two years the CISF have also held some trials by the firms selling these equipment but the process to shortlist a vendor has not yet been completed. According to some officers, the reason behind the delay might be the cost of the product.
“The equipment which we are using right now costs around 15 lakh for one RTVS. The ones we held the trials for are the best quality products costing almost double. But when it is a matter of security and safety of passengers, no compromises can be made,” another officer added on the condition of anonymity.
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