The Railway Protection Force personnel will soon be equipped with AK-47s and 5.56-mm INSAS rifles, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
In the year 2004-05, 1,000 5.56-mm rifles and 500 9-mm carbines will be procured at a cost of Rs 3.72 crore, Minister of State for Railways R Velu said in a written reply.
He said there is a further requirement of 7,000 AK-47s, 5.56-mm rifles and 2,000 carbines, which is estimated to cost about Rs 15.55 crore.
Earlier, light and compact weapons like 9-mm carbines and 9-mm pistols were provided to the RPF, replacing the bolt-action rifles, he said.
Velu also informed the Rajya Sabha that a survey for laying a new railway line between Jammu and Poonch via Akhnoor and Rajouri was conducted in March 1999. It was updated in November 2000. The survey estimated that the cost of laying the 223-km line will be Rs 4,574 crore. However, the project was not considered feasible due to resource constraint. Moreover, it was also felt that the project would not be remunerative, Velu said.