Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 21: The frequent road accidents in the length and breadth of Jammu and Kashmir is a grave issue for the Governor N N Vohra but shockingly the same carries no importance for the PDP-BJP Coalition Government, which is witnessing loss of innocent lives in tragedies on the roads as a mute spectator and doesn’t consider taking corrective steps as part of its duty.
After every tragic road accident the Governor expresses his serious concern and urges the Government to take corrective steps so that no more innocent lives are lost for no fault of theirs. What to talk of previous regime, the present PDP-BJP Coalition Government has also refused to come out of inertia and take seriously the concern of the constitutional head of the State.
This can be gauged from the fate of latest directive of the Governor, who after October 20, 2015 tragic accident in Ramnagar area of Udhampur district wherein 14 persons lost their lives and 18 others sustained critical injuries, had once again asked the Government to show utmost seriousness in bringing down the number of fatal road accidents in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a communiqué issued by Raj Bhawan spokesman on October 20, 2015, it was explicitly stated that the Governor is seriously concerned about the fatal accidents which have been occurring with sustained frequency on roads in the State.
It was stated that the Governor had recently talked to the Chief Minister about 40,957 road accidents having taken place during the period between January 1, 2009 till July 31, 2015 leading to injuries to 58,072 people and death of 6953 persons. Moreover, it was mentioned that every day 18 accidents take place in the State in which 25 persons are injured and more than three are killed.
While expressing serious concern over such a disturbing trend in hilly State of Jammu and Kashmir, the Governor had urged the Chief Minister to chair a special meeting of the Cabinet to determine and issue the required directives to the concerned authorities so that frequency of road accidents is brought down considerably and passenger vehicle operators are stopped from dragging the commuters to the jaws of death.
However, despite lapse of over one month the Government has not found it appropriate to follow the directions of the Governor and convene special meeting of State Cabinet on the subject, official sources said, adding “what to talk of convening special meeting this issue was not at all discussed in the routine Cabinet meeting held on November 19”.
“This indicates that the Governor’s seriousness on the fatal road accidents carries no importance for the PDP-BJP Coalition Government”, sources regretted, adding “what to talk of latest direction even the previous directions particularly those issued by the Governor in a high-level meeting on February 14 this year have not been taken seriously by the bureaucrats till date”.
In that meeting, the Governor while pulling up the bureaucracy had clearly told them to adopt serious approach towards the increasing road accidents particularly in the hilly terrains of the State. He had also issued numerous directions to different departments, which have failed to see light of the day till date and remain confined in the official files, sources further regretted.
“The Government has not woken to the situation despite the fact that since October 20, 2015 when the last direction was issued by the Governor, nearly 30 lives have been lost in the major road accidents and around 70 people have sustained injuries”, sources informed.
It is pertinent to mention here that on October 26, three bikers were knocked to death near Kud in Udhampur district while as on November 1, two persons were killed in accident near Khellani in Doda district. Similarly, on November 4 and 5, three persons were killed in Kishtwar and 24 sustained injuries in Nowshera area of Rajouri district.
On November 14, newlywed among three persons lost their lives in tragic road accident in Samba district on Jammu-Pathankot National Highway. Besides, numerous minor accidents were reported from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir during the past one month.
If the repeated directions of the Governor have failed to shake the consciousness of the Government when will it wake up from the deep slumber remains a million dollar question?
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