Raturi directs immediate release of relief amount in cases of public service vehicles’ accidents
Friday, 03 MAY 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Taking serious cognisance of the issue of delay in the cases pertaining to the Accident Relief Fund in the State, chief secretary Radha Raturi has directed the officials to immediately release the relief amount to the affected people in the cases of accidents of public service vehicles. Raturi clarified that now there is no need for a magisterial investigation report for the entitlement of relief amount. An amount of Rs 50 lakh has been allocated to the district magistrates for the Accident Relief Fund. Along with this, the chief secretary has directed the officials to keep a strict vigil on road accidents and crimes related to illegal mining activities in the State, especially in Dehradun and Haridwar districts. Instructing officials to give top priority to the quality of crash barriers instead of the formalities while chairing a meeting of the road safety monitoring committee on Thursday, Raturi directed the officials to also conduct a third party audit of the quality of crash barriers. She further 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. The CS has directed the District Magistrates to ensure the mapping of the places with more accidents within the stipulated deadline and also to work on an action plan for corrective measures like speed breakers and crash barriers, among others at these places.
Raturi has advised the senior officers of Transport, Public Works Department, Finance and related departments to work with the vision of making Uttarakhand a zero accident State. Taking cognisance of the cases of vehicles being locked up at police stations and posts by the Transport department, she clarified that the officers concerned should immediately make arrangements to keep the vehicles locked up at various police stations together by identifying a place near the city in each district. She also directed the district magistrates to identify/transfer land for this purpose in the districts.
The chief secretary directed the Public Works Department to get regular road safety audit done through a professional agency while directing the Transport department to strengthen the online challan system and run a campaign to encourage the use of helmets by users of two-wheelers. Officials of the Education department were directed to include awareness about road accidents in the curriculum and promote the Good Samaritan scheme.
Secretaries Dilip Jawalkar, Arvind Singh Hayanki, Pankaj Kumar Pandey along with officers of various departments and all district magistrates were present in the meeting virtually.
