By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 2 May: Taking seriously the delay in the Accident Relief Fund in the state, Chief Secretary Radha Raturi has given instructions to immediately release the relief amount to the affected people in cases involving public service vehicles. Raturi has clarified that now there will be no need for a magisterial investigation report for entitlement to the relief amount. An amount of Rs 50 lakh has been allocated to the District Magistrates for the Accident Relief Fund.
Along with this, she also directed the officers to maintain a strict vigil on road accidents and crimes related to illegal mining activities in the state, especially in Dehradun and Haridwar districts.
Giving strict instructions to give top priority to the quality of crash barriers, she has given strict instructions to the officers to conduct third party audit of their quality. She has also directed the officers to study other latest technologies and best practices in place of crash barriers in other countries and implement them in the state.
She asked the District Magistrates to ensure the mapping of places with more accidents within the stipulated deadline and also to work on an action plan for corrective measures like speed breakers, crash barriers, etc., at these places.
She was chairing a meeting of the Road Safety and Monitoring Committee at the Secretariat here today. She said that the administration must work with the vision of making Uttarakhand a zero accident zone. Taking cognisance of the cases of vehicles being locked up at police stations and chaukis by the Transport Department, Raturi clarified that the officers concerned should immediately make arrangements to identify a place near the city in each district for this purpose. She has directed the District Magistrates to identify/transfer land in this regard.
Raturi also directed the Public Works Department to get regular road safety audit done through a professional agency, as well as the Transport Department to strengthen the online challan system, run a campaign to encourage the use of helmets by two-wheelers riders, the Education Department to include awareness about road accidents in the curriculum, and promote the Good Samaritan Scheme.
Secretaries Dilip Jawalkar, Hayanki, Dr Pankaj Kumar Pandey along with officers of various departments and all District Magistrates were present in the meeting on a virtual basis.
