In spite of repeated directives from the Governor, keeping in view various aspects regarding road safety measures, Jammu and Kashmir Road Safety Council has not met even once during the past 10 months. The last meeting was held in August 2017. The spate of road accidents taking place and claiming precious lives, perhaps appears to be concern of no one excepting dishing out sympathetic condolence messages following such tragic accidents and thereafter forgetting everything else.
The Council was constituted with a special purpose and new framework assigned to it duly approved by the State Legislature in early this year with the stipulation, among others, of at least meeting on quarterly basis to deliberate and devise means and measures to apply brakes to the speeding sprees of road accidents across the State. The concerned departmental authorities owe an explanation for this lapse where human lives are at stake.
Whether decisions taken in previous meetings whenever held, were ensured to be implemented or not seems to be just not taken seriously despite concern shown by the Governor. He had even directed Divisional Commissioners to ensure that meetings of the District Road Safety Committees were held on monthly basis by the concerned Deputy Commissioners. Decisions like establishment of Institute of Driving, Training and Research (IDTR) and Inspection and Certificate Centre are hanging in balance. Rules as per the needs have not been formulated either because less coordination between the Law Department and the Road Safety Council Secretariat or the directives not taken seriously. Likewise Jammu and Kashmir Road Safety Fund has not been established so far. We hope that the seriousness demanded by the safety on roads and prevent fatal and tragic accidents, was felt by the authorities concerned and the Jammu and Kashmir Road Safety Council would act, now, as a catalyst agent between various allied agencies in shaping measures to prevent road accidents in the State.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel