Should recurrent road accidents, in most of the cases fatal ones, mostly in hilly areas, just be confined to the files of statistics and data compilation to be “used” in replying to questions in the State Legislature etc or the Government should take such fatal accidents on roads seriously and look like doing something worthwhile, is the moot question. What lessons, the Government agencies are deriving from such accidents to formulate a well defined and executed Road Safety Measures?
It is observed that neither State Road Safety Council nor the District Level Committees are meeting quite regularly to deliberate upon the causes of intermittent road fatalities due to various reasons and review the existing non effective measures to formulate and suggest result oriented remedial measures. Who is going to account for as to why State Road Safety Council has not met even once since August last year. Likewise, it is reported that District Road Safety Committees meet only when tragic road accident takes place in any part of the State .
Two major tragic road accidents have taken place in Kishtwar district in quick succession , a formality like “action” will be initiated in the shape of District Road Safety Committee meeting in just a couple of days which can best be termed as an eyewash. Jammu and Kashmir Road Safety Council Act enacted by the State Legislature on the direction of the Supreme Court which gives sufficient powers to the Council to act appears to have gone in narcissistic way and thus in vain when even regular meetings are not conducted.
It is a sad commentary on the non seriousness on the concerned authorities in not even having framed rules under the Act so far. Who is going to be held responsible for all this fuss and mess in respect of a critical issue like fatal recurring road accidents? We seek clarification from the concerned.
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