Srinagar, Oct 06 (KNS): Amid an unprecedented rise in the road accidents on Srinagar-Jammu highway in Ramban district, the government is sitting over a report of the house committee of Jammu and Kashmir assembly which had recommended several measures for checking the road accidents in the hilly area during the reign of Omar Abdullah led NC-Congress coalition government. The action taken report though to be tabled in the J&K assembly within six months is still gathering dust in the transport department.
Official sources told Kashmir News Service (KNS) that following unprecedented rise in road accidents in Ramban district on Srinagar-Jammu highway the erstwhile Omar led NC-Congress coalition government had constituted a committee headed by MLA Kulgam M Y Tarigami which had recommended measures for checking the rise in road accidents in the Ramban area. The committee in its recommendations had suggested setting up of driving schools for drivers and emergency hospitals with latest facilities in the Ramban area. The committee had also suggested condemnation of old vehicles, stringent measures for stopping overloading on the passenger busses and road widening of all the main and arterial roads connecting Jammu-Srinagar highway with different hilly areas of Ramban district.
It is in place to mention here that the report assumes significance in view of the death of twenty passengers in a road accident in the Ramban area Saturday this week and equal number of deaths in another road accident in Kishtwar area last month.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
The committee headed by MLA Kulgam M Y Tarigami was among other represented by legislators Sajjad Kichloo, Shareef Niaz, Abdul Majid Wani, G M Saroori, Aijaz Ahmad Khan and Vikar Rasool.
When contacted MLA Kulgam M Y Tarigami the chairman of the house committee confirmed to KNS that the committee had submitted its recommendations before the house and the recommendations were made public but action taken on the recommendations is still awaited.
Alleging that unfortunately recommendations of house committees are neither taken serious nor implemented by the government, Tarigami said “during our interactions with the general public it was found that most of the drivers plying private vehicles are not fully trained and un-train drivers plying vehicles is a big reason for unprecedented rise in road accidents. The SRTC busses run by trained drivers are considered safer than the private passenger busses. Above all SRTC condemns all old vehicles every year and hence forth the risk of accidents is lesser than the private passenger vehicles.”
He said “the report of this house committee was also put to dustbin.” (KNS)