Ever increasing road accidents on the Highway and its arteries in the State are a source of major worry not only to the passengers and their families but to the Traffic Department and the State as well. Innumerable conferences, meetings and discussions have taken place among interested circles, especially the Traffic Police Department, R&B Department, Forest Department and many other agencies to find out how traffic over the National Highway and its adjoining roads can be made safer for the commuters. Though many improvements have been suggested and even implemented, but the seriousness of the issue has invited the attention of even the highest judicial authority in the country namely the Supreme Court. In pursuance of the Supreme Court Road Safety Committee recommendations, the J&K Government constituted State Road Safety Council to take care of all matters pertaining to road traffic safety.
However, the manner in which the State Government responded to the recommendation of the SC Committee and the aftermath of its formal order of creating the Safety Council shows that the spirit behind such formulation is somewhat lacking and the State Government does not take the matter seriously, and the Council is still waiting for the Estates Department to find some accommodation where the Secretariat of the Council will be housed. How much more time will be required is not clear though the Estates Department authorities say that they are very close to finding the accommodation in the old Secretariat in Srinagar. The Secretariat of the Council will be moving with the Durbar and, therefore, accommodation has to be found not only in Srinagar but in Jammu also.
Another item that further confirms our belief of Government’s non serious attitude is that no postings of senior and junior staff have been made to the Council so far. The Council is supposed to function under the charge of the Administrative Secretary, Transport Department. The post of Additional Secretary in the Secretariat of the Road Safety Council, which was to be filled by posting an officer holding the Selection Grade of KAS, continues to remain vacant till date owing to the slackness on the part of the General Administration Department.
Similarly, the post of Additional Secretary (Technical) has yet not been filled despite the fact that it was clearly mentioned in the order that Home Department would depute SSP level officer to man the post. Likewise, post of Under Secretary, which was to be filled by deputing a Junior Scale KAS/equivalent level officer by the General Administration Department, is lying vacant The question is whether slackness on the part of authorities is deliberate or that it is the normal work culture in the state administrative structure.
We have said that despite many existing rules and procedures, road accidents continue to happen and innocent lives are lost. This is national loss. Any Government, seriously interested in providing maximum safety to the people who have to travel these hilly roads would not have wasted a single day in updating all mechanisms of safety including the State Road Safety Council. The objective behind announcement of “Secretariat of the State Road Safety Council” was to coordinate all activities relating to the road safety in the State, which include the functions of a number of Government Departments, Local Bodies, Non-Government Organizations and other departments concerned with the road safety. The Council is expected to address the issue of road accidents comprehensively and in unison with the agreement of various departments. The Council would primarily reflect on the way the Traffic Police Department is handling the issue of road accidents and to propose reforms for its improvement.
We would strongly emphasize on the Government providing accommodation to the Secretariat of the Council and post senior and junior staff to its Secretariat to make it functional in shortest possible time. Since the order for the constitution of the Council has already been issued, there remains little sense in delaying the posting of staff or identifying accommodation for the Council.
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