Frequent loss of lives due to unplanned NH widening works
*Concerned authorities passing bucks on each other
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 18: Though several lives are regularly lost due to unplanned widening of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway particularly in the Ramban district yet there is absolutely no focus on taking the FIRs registered against the contractors and sub-contractors to the logical conclusion in a time bound manner.
Moreover, all the concerned authorities are passing bucks on each other instead of ensuring that the construction companies take all the precautions as directed by the Lieutenant Governor and Chief Secretary from time to time.
On December 15, 2019, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) along with his driver lost their lives and officer’s PSO sustained critical injuries when a boulder fell on his official vehicle in Ramban area.
Following this tragic incident, FIR was registered under relevant Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on the complaint lodged by the CRPF. In the complaint, it was mentioned that incident had taken place because of non-serious approach of the agency involved in the widening of the highway in Ramban area, which was supposed to take precautions to prevent rolling down of boulders from the mountains.
The investigation of the case was entrusted to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Headquarters but the same has not been taken to the logical conclusion despite lapse of several months, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
“However, the delay is being attributed to the transfer of the DySP Headquarters”, they further said, adding “the transfer of the officer entrusted with the task of conducting investigation is not a plausible ground especially when such a high rank officer had lost his life because of the carelessness of the highway widening agency”.
Had there been seriousness on the part of the Ramban Police the investigation could have been completed in a time bound manner by assigning the task to some other competent officer, sources said.
On May 16, 2020 yet another tragic accident took place again under the jurisdiction of Ramban Police Station because of the unplanned widening of the highway. In this accident, two persons lost their lives and seven other sustained injuries besides nine vehicles got damaged when all of a sudden landslides hit the stretch of the highway in Ramban.
About this accident, FIR No.68 under Sections 337 IPC (causing hurt by act of endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304-A IPC (causing death by negligence) has been registered against the construction company at Ramban Police Station.
“What would be the fate of this FIR in the light of the fact that FIR into the death of DIG CRPF has yet not reached the logical conclusion? sources asked, adding “the astonishing aspect is that in the FIR neither the name of the construction company nor the sub-contractor has been mentioned by the Police”.
This is notwithstanding the fact that everybody knows that widening of National Highway in the area where the accident took place has been entrusted to the Hindustan Construction Company.
“The loss of lives due to unplanned widening of the National Highway has also established that Ramban district administration is not taking the required steps to ensure that all the precautions are taken by the construction company and its contractors while executing the work”, sources said.
When contacted to ascertain whether any advisory has been issued by the administration to the construction company or the contractors, Additional Deputy Commissioner Ramban Ashok Kumar Sharma said, “we have very limited role to play as there are standard clauses in the contract which are to be strictly adhered to by the construction company and contractors”, adding “as far as FIRs are concerned only police has to play its role”.
The non-serious approach of the construction company, contractors, Ramban district administration and Police is notwithstanding the fact that Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu and Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam have issued directions a number of times for taking all the precautions during the ongoing widening work so as to prevent loss of lives.
In the month of December last year, the Lieutenant Governor had issued directions for installation of crash barriers in the accident prone areas to avoid untoward incidents. Moreover, he had asked the officers to plug all unauthorized cuts along the road dividers on the National Highway.
Similar directions were also issued by the Chief Secretary while chairing meetings to review the progress on the widening of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
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