*Announcements on floor of Legislature confined to papers only
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 7: Astonish-ing it may sound but it is a fact that establishment of two Model Institutes of Drivers Training and Research, which remained lofty slogan of four Transport Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, has failed to become reality till date despite lapse of nearly five years. Moreover, none of the officer of the Transport Department is in a position to explain as to when these institutes will formally come up to achieve the intended objective.
The Union Road Transport Ministry is implementing a scheme for setting up of Model Institutes of Drivers Training and Research (IDTR) under which it provides a grant up to Rs 17 crore for each centre as also Rs 5 crore for setting up of smaller Regional Driving Training Centres (RDTC). Under this scheme, two such institutes were sanctioned for Jammu and Kashmir several years back.
The formal announcement about setting up of two IDTR was first made by the then Minister for Transport Qamar Ali Akhnoon on January 1, 2013 while flagging of a rally from the Mini Stadium, Parade Ground on the Road Safety Week. “The State Government will shortly set-up two hi-tech driving institutes for proper training of the drivers”, he had explicitly stated.
Thereafter, his successor Ch Mohammad Ramzan, while replying to the discussion in the Legislative Council on April 2, 2013 regarding increase in number of road accidents especially in hilly areas, had stated that 78% accidents occur due to negligence and faults committed by drivers as such Government will shortly establish hi-tech institutes at Jammu and Srinagar and later at district headquarters with funding from the Union Government.
“We will not waste any more time and these institutes will shortly become reality”, the then Minister for Transport Ch Ramzan had told the Upper House of the State Legislature.
Like the previous dispensation establishment of two IDTR also remained lofty slogan of present PDP-BJP Coalition Government and on December 1, 2015 the then Minister for Transport Abdul Gani Kohli, while laying foundation of State Motor Garages Complex at Mari in Reasi district on December 1, 2015, had announced that two hi-tech driving institutes will become reality shortly.
“All the concerned authorities have been explicitly told to complete the requisite formalities in this regard at the earliest”, he had told the gathering.
Even the present Transport Minister Sunil Sharma has made announcement regarding establishment of IDTR on numerous occasions particularly on the floor of the State Legislature. During the Budget Session held in June 2016 at Srinagar, Sunil Sharma had stated that two specialized institutes for driving and training of drivers of commercial vehicles are coming up in Jammu and Kashmir. He had further announced that a proposal has been sent to the Government of India for setting up Inspection Certification Centres in the State to check excessive pollution-emitting vehicles.
Even during the Budget Session concluded in the month of February this year, the Transport Minister had reiterated his earlier statement. This time he had gone to the extent of mentioning that an amount of Rs 17 crore has been provided for establishment of these institutes to be executed under PPP model and process for identification of land at both Srinagar and Jammu has been initiated.
About Inspection and Certification Centre, he had stated that process for identification of land was underway.
“However, the lofty slogans of four Transport Ministers have remained confined to official files with no progress so far”, sources regretted while disclosing that land for establishment of IDTR in Jammu has been identified in Ghaink village near Bhalwal in the outskirts of Jammu city whileas the appropriate land for such institute in Srinagar is yet to be identified.
When contacted, Commissioner/ Secretary to Government, Transport Department, Hemant Kumar Sharma said, “we are awaiting Central funding for start of work on IDTR at Jammu while as land still remains an issue in respect of such institute in Srinagar”.
“The dilly-dallying approach in establishment of two IDTR has put a big question mark on the planning in the Transport Department”, sources said, adding “it is a matter of serious concern that while Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari is planning to establish 2000 more IDTR in different parts of country J&K has failed to set-up those which were sanctioned nearly five years back”.
Moreover, by failing to set-up IDTR the successive Transport Ministers have made mockery of the announcements made on the floor of the State Legislature, sources remarked, adding “it seems that J&K has not woken to the necessity of providing proper training to the drivers of the commercial vehicles despite frequent road accidents particularly in the hilly areas mainly due to ill-trained drivers, who otherwise have obtained licenses from the RTOs”.
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