Rs. 1,100-Crore Monorail
Guarded by Guns Used in
Revolt of 1857!
Mumbai: Maharashtra State Security Corporation guards deployed at Monorail stations upset at having .410 musket rifles dumped on them, which they say are of no use during emergencies With the city witnessing a string of terror attacks in the recent past, you would think arming security personnel at vital installations with modern-day weaponry would be top priority. But a ride on the recently inaugurated monorail system, built with modern engineering, proves otherwise. The Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC) personnel deployed by the state home department to secure the monorail have been armed with the outdated rifle musket (.410) - a weapon similar to the one used in the 1857 uprising. A musket is a muzzle-loaded firearm, which has to be fired from the shoulder. Although some variations of these weapons can still be seen in the hands of security guards manning banks and other government installations, the musket is ineffective in a terror attack, as it reloads slowly.
'Only for time being' The Director General of MSSC, K P Raghuvanshi said, "Automatic weapons cannot be given for such places (monorail) and the weapons that have been provided to the MSSC guards are for the time being. When the requirement arises, we will upgrade the weapons."
Guard concerns Meanwhile, the guards deployed at the stations have expressed concern over the decision to arm them with these outdated weapons. A guard, on condition of anonymity, said, "We were provided advanced weapons during training, but when we were deployed at the monorail station we were given a musket.
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Rs 1,100-Crore Monorail Guarded by Guns Used in Revolt of 1857! | NDTV.com
