AHMEDABAD: Western Railway’s decision to deploy only women employees at Maninagar railway station has been rescinded within a fortnight. Now, only a few women remain on the staff of 36. A 5.00am eve-teasing incident prompted the authorities to reconsider the move.On International Women’s Day, Indian Railways declared Maninagar to be Gujarat ’s first and only all-woman station . The authorities have now transferred a large number of women staffers. The station, which is an open station, has been the site of illegal activities.“The problem was mainly with commercial staff and the women constables on duty at night. There is a single booking window and one staffer had to be at the window round-the-clock. The woman staffer on the night shift had to be alone. She said she was not comfortable and was hence shifted,” a senior officer said.“Moreover, staffer commuted to work from distant places like Sabarmati and the western parts of the city. For the 5.00am shift, they would have to leave at 4.00am and the commute at this hour was a cause of concern,” said a senior officer, requesting anonymity.Divisional railway manager Dinesh Kumar said, “We got a report of a minor incident, of eve-teasing with a woman staffer. We are concerned about their safety and the fact that they were not comfortable commuting in the wee hours or at night. We had to take a tough call and transfer these women staffers. I could have transferred in women staffers from other areas, but the division does not have enough women and we thought it better to call off the project.”A senior official, requesting anonymity, said “This was a pilot project and officials were aware about the security concerns at a station which is somewhat secluded. When some staffers were transferred out of Maninagar, they were told that if there are security concerns they would be brought back. As the station is open, some undesirable elements come in and lurk around the station.” One official said a woman staffer had complained that people were coming in at night and playing cards on the platform. The official said that the women RPF constables also found it difficult to handle these elements. On a couple of occasions, male RPF personnel were called in.When Maninagar was declared an all-women station on Women’s Day, March 8, 23 commercial clerks, three operating staff and 10 RPF personnel were posted to the station. Only Jayashree Pillai, the station superintendent and a few other women are posted at Maninagar. The other women staffers have been sent back to their original postings.