Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 16: Governor NN Vohra has directed the Transport Department to study in detail Tamil Nadu model of construction of roads and payment of relief to the accident victims immediately and submit exhaustive report to him for implementation in Jammu and Kashmir, if found feasible.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Governor, who had earlier also been voicing deep concern over frequent road accidents especially in the hilly areas during previous Government, has now taken the initiative when the State was under his Rule to set the things right and adopt novel ways of averting accidents and providing relief to the people in case the accident takes place.
“A directive has gone to the Transport Department to immediately send a team to Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu to study the pattern of road network, the steps taken by them to prevent accidents, role of the Transport and Traffic agencies and relief to accident victims,’’ sources said, adding that the Transport Commissioner has been directed to head a team to Tamil Nadu for immediate inter-action with the Transport officials there.
There has been spurt in accidents in Jammu and Kashmir especially in the hilly areas.
Sources said Kerala and Tamil Nadu have adopted new models of road construction especially in the hilly areas and taken series of scientific measures to prevent the road accidents, which have proved successful in bringing down the average of road accidents considerably. Several other States have also discussed Tamil Nadu and Kerala models of roads. While some States have started adopting the pattern, some others were discussing the model.
According to sources, the roads construction in the two States of Kerala and Tamil Nadu especially in the hilly areas has been done after detailed studies and analysis by the experts, which has brought down the road accidents. Further, the two States have generated funds from the fares charged from the passengers, which is used for free treatment of the injured as well as providing relief to the persons killed in the accidents without depending on the Government.
Sources said the Governor has directed the Transport Department to immediately lead a team to Tamil Nadu for detailed study of the pattern of roads construction and related issues and submit a report for its implementation in Jammu and Kashmir immediately especially the areas, which could prove helpful in minimizing the accidents.
A team of Transport Department was expected to leave for Tamil Nadu capital Chennai shortly after fixing up the meetings with the officials there, study their pattern of roads and submit a report to the Governor for implementation.
The two southern States have not only adopted pattern to curb road accidents, they have different concepts of tackling the accident victims, if at all they take place despite new techniques put into use.
It may be mentioned here that several lives are lost in the accidents in Jammu and Kashmir every year with more accidents taking place in the upper reaches. The Governor during NC-Congress regime had also been voicing serious concern over road accidents and directing the concerned authorities to take steps to prevent recurrence of accidents.
However, in the absence of any concrete policy adopted by the Government, there was no reduction in the accidents with people continued to lose lives.
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