News
Railway raids
View(s):Amidst the daily rush at the Fort Railway Station, commuters are often troubled by beggars and illegal vendors both within the station premises as well as on the trains.
Text and Pix by Indika Handuwala
The Head of Security of SL Railways, J.M.N.S Jayasena said that with the increasing number of complaints from travellers both local and foreign, authorities have decided to continue their raids for beggars and illegal vendors and take legal action.
He said beggars need to be sent to rehabilitation centres, as most of them return to the railway stations, after being fined and released.
However, when contacted by the Sunday Times, officials at the Beggar Rehabilitation Centres in Rideegama and Methsevana said that they have issues with space and are unable to accommodate all the beggars.
A team of 14 officials have been deployed to carry out the operations, and along with assistance from the environment police, they raid the railway stations where beggars and illegal vendors congregate. All vendors, apart from those permitted to sell goods on trains, are prohibited to carry out their activities.
According to Jayasena, foreign tourists complain about unclean beggars troubling them as well as thefts taking place.
The raids are led by the OIC of the railway security services Lalith Kumara and Assistant Superintendent (Railway Crime) Gamini Dissanayake.
Teams are deployed in civvies on platforms and carriages as well as in shops. During raids over the past few weeks, the team apprehended 13 beggars out of whom six were women.
The officials then handed them over to the environmental police, who arrested them for causing public nuisance which is in violation of the Railways Ordinance. The arrested were produced before the Colombo Magistrate Courts and were each fined Rs. 100.
Officials also reiterate the need to amend the fining regulations in the Railways Ordinance.
 Raids are carried out on platforms, carriages as well as in shops |  With most rehabilitation centres filled to capacity beggars often return to the railway stations |
 Due to complaints from the public, beggars and illegal vendors are routinely rounded up at Railway stations by a specially deployed team |  Each person accused of begging is fined Rs. 100 and subsequently released |
 Train travellers, both local and foreign, complain about 'unclean beggars' and thefts |  Over the past few weeks the team has apprehended 13 beggars and all were handed over to the environment police who arrested them for 'causing public nuisance' |