The Departmental Related Standing Committee (DRSC) of the Legislative Council on Home Department has met and brought under review the working of various branches of the Department. By and large, this is an advisory committee but at the same time it has the competence of commenting on the performance of the Home Department. The purpose is to help streamline the administration. Law and order fall within the ambit of Home Department and this is one area where regular review of ground situation is needed to be undertaken especially when the State is limping back to normalcy after two decades of turmoil and militancy. The Committee has stressed upon efficient functionality of the police department. Essentially the police and other departments have to be people friendly because that is the criterion of good governance. The Committee has considered the policy of the government on issues related to militancy like the surrendered militants; youth migrated to PoK and speedy disposal of cases pending at different levels
The committee seems to have reviewed the issue of security for women in the light of national policy for providing safety and security to the vulnerable section of society. There is much weight in the suggestion that the number of women police officers and other ranks should be increased and adequate number of woman police officer should be posted at police stations. It has to be recalled that the judiciary has already moved fast to open fast track courts for prosecuting people accused of rape, molestation and sexual abuse of women. The police department needs to keep pace with these developments and take immediate action in cases of misconduct against women.
The most glaring deficiency of the home department is to be seen in its failure in controlling traffic accidents in the State. According to the finding of the Committee there have been 5,000 fatalities owing to road accident and 27,000 injured persons during past three years. This shows that the traffic department has performed most miserably in preventing road accidents mostly in Chenab Valley sector. In these columns we have raised this issue a number of times, almost with each major accident happening but unfortunately there seems no improvement in controlling the situation. The traffic department has shown recovery of a sum of 8 crore rupees by way of fine imposed on violators of traffic rules. This is no consolation to the public. The performance of the traffic police is not to be adjudged by the amount of recovery it has made but by the number of victims of road accidents. If the traffic authorities are able to enforce the law in letter and in spirit, there will be no fines and no recoveries. That is an ideal situation and the traffic police should keep that objective in view. We do not know what steps the traffic department has taken to control of fake driving licenses which have been a major cause of motor accidents. Are the norms of validating the route permits strictly observed or not, is another important issue? There are a number of vehicles plying on unauthorized routes. Who allows them to do so and why are not they brought to book, are the questions related to road accidents. The traffic police issues bills of road safety measures but that has become only a routine matter just to be heard and forgotten. The taste of pudding is in eating. These safety measures need to be implemented and not only to be showcased. This is what the Committee has recommended.
The Committee comprising highly experienced civil servants and police authorities, has covered several important points and also laid the roadmap for the Home Department in a bid to claim good governance. We expect the police to be people friendly and we also expect the authorities to change its mindset before more loss of human life takes place. It is crime to let a large number of passengers meet with sudden and fatal road accidents. No society and Government would accept it.
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