Kochi Metro seeks security plan from city police

Kochi: The Metro authorities have approached the Kochi Police seeking to provide adequate protection and form a ‘Security Plan’ upon the Kochi Metro commencing commercial operations. The initiative confirms efforts of the authorities to commission the 13-km Aluva-Palarivattom stretch by April one itself instead of the June target suggested by the chief minister earlier in a review meet. "The metro authorities are in touch with the police over providing security. A draft ‘Security Plan’ will be submitted to us this week itself. We’ll analyse it in detail before conducting a security audit and a series of meeting with all concerned players including the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and Kochi Metro Rail Corporation (KMRL). A fool proof plan will be formed by the time the Metro starts commercial operations,” said Yatish Chandra G H, Deputy Commissioner of Police.

The ‘Security Plan’ includes the number of police personnel to be deployed in and outside Metro stations, plan of action to be taken in case of emergencies, commuter safety, securing ‘out of bound’ areas and prevention of attacks against infrastructure among others. “The security measures will be a combined effort with the Kochi Metro authorities in terms of sharing of personnel and security apparatus,” the officer said. On Monday, DMRC Principal Adviser E Sreedharan had said that the DMRC and the KMRL are working together to complete the work between Aluva and Palarivattom and to commission the section by March end.

This, even as, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and local MLAs had earlier said at the evaluation meeting held on December 11 that that commercial services should start only after work of the Metro rail is completed till Maharajas College station, a further five kms from Palarivattom. Meanwhile, the test trail run in the full 12-km stretch from Aluva to Edapally was conducted for the first time on Tuesday. Signal testing trial will continue in the Aluva-Palarivattom stretch for one more month.

Kudumbashree invites applications

The Kudumbashree Mission has invited applications from its members for various jobs in the Kochi Metro such as house-keeping, gardening, ticketing, customer facilitation and parking. “A government notification inviting the applications has been out. The whole selection process will be completed in two months,” a senior official of the district Kudumbashree Mission said. Only those who are active members of the Mission for at least six months as on December 30, 2016, can apply. The last date for receiving applications is February 10.

“More information on posts, age, educational qualification and the like is available in the website www.kudumbasree.org,” he said. Earlier, in December, the KMRL signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kudumbashree for management of its station premises and related activities. “Initially 300 women will be enrolled with the Kudumbashree mission for carrying out metro rail-related services and upto 1800 personnel could be provided with job opportunities in the later stages,” the official said.