A total amount of Rs 59,87,645 in cash was recovered by the CISF, a paramilitary force under Union Home Ministry, from January 1 to June 30 this year in the metro and was returned to its owners through the station controllers of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), government data said.
The amount was Rs 81,04,602 in 2018, Rs 70,73,802 in 2017 and Rs 75,15, 537 in 2016.
Besides cash, the CISF recovered other valuable assets including cheques or drafts, foreign currency, laptops, gold and silver ornaments, cameras, watches, mobile phones, tablets and i-Pods worth lakhs of rupeees left behind by passengers between January 1, 2016 and June 30 this year.
Of the total cash recovered this year, the CISF found Rs 32,91,939 in January, Rs 1,06,009 in February, Rs 35,348 in March, Rs 48,744 in April, Rs 4,47,534 in May and Rs 3,47,144 in June.
The CISF's 12,000 troopers, specially deputed in Delhi Metro for its security, also recovered cheques or drafts worth Rs 2.25 crore, foreign currency worth Rs 85,866, 65 laptops, 12 gold ornaments, 15 silver ornaments, nine cameras, 34 watches, 129 mobile phones. and two tablets till June 30 this year.
In 2018, the CISF recovered cheques and drafts over Rs 1,12 crore, foreign currency worth Rs 1,06,046, 140 laptops, 43 gold ornaments, 27 silver ornaments, 27 cameras, 58 watches, 329 mobile phones, seven tablets and one i-Pod.
In 2017, it recovered cheques and drafts over Rs 4,84,477, foreign currency worth Rs 5,31,978, 130 laptops, 25 gold ornaments, 567 silver ornaments, 18 cameras, 110 watches, 364 mobile phones, 18 tablets and three i-Pods.
In 2016, the force recovered cheques and drafts over Rs 39,66,160, foreign currency worth Rs 7,03,065, 111 laptops, 49 gold ornaments, 25 silver ornaments, 17 cameras, 96 watches, 413 mobile phones, 10 tablets and one i-Pod.
Officials in the 1.48 lakh strong force said the efforts of their personnel may not be widely-known but it really was a boon for those who got back their assets which they had left behind in the metro in a hurry to reach their destinations.
CISF's Assistant Inspector General Hemendra Singh said the job of his force's personnel is not easy as they handle a footfall of around 30 lakh passengers every day but they try to gain the people's trust, resulting in recovery of Rs 59.87 lakh in cash in just first six month of this year.
Asked if the CISF gets praise from people for returning their assets back to them, Singh told : "Yes. It is very encouraging for our personnel. We receive people's feedback on Twitter and on email."
He said that the force offer rewards to these personnel who help Metro passengers in any way.
Another CISF official said that most of the passengers leave most of the items on the r-ray baggage machines or on their seats in the train coaches.
The CISF, whose camouflage uniform-attired personnel are providing security at all 245 metro stations across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), also guard nuclear installations, space establishments, airports, seaports, power plants, sensitive government buildings and ever heritage monuments.
Among other important responsibilities entrusted to the force are VIP security, disaster management and establishment of a Formed Police Unit (FPU) of the UN at Haiti.
(Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@.in)
( With inputs from IANS )