Samoon reviews road safety, traffic regulation on Sgr-Jmu highway

JAMMU: Principal Secretary Animal, Sheep Husbandry, Fisheries and Transport Departments, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon convened separate meetings to take stock of functioning of the departments here today.

Divisional Commissioner Jammu Sanjeev Verma, IGP SD Jamwal, Director Fisheries R.N Pandita, Director Animal Husbandry Jammu Sanjeev Kumar, Director Sheep Husbandry Jammu Victor Koul and other senior officers from Traffic, Finance, Planning, PWD, PSC, JKSSRB, NHAI, BRO, NABARD, JKERA, Legal Metrology and other line departments were present in the meetings. Concerned officers from District Administrations participated in the meeting via video conferencing.

Threadbare discussions were held on the implementation of road safety measures and traffic management, removal of encroachment/ hoardings, black spots identification, road cutting and slope stabilization, metres in auto rickshaws, installation of crash barriers along with roads, Intelligent Transport System, creation of bylaws for parking of vehicles, 136 BLSA ambulances given to Health / Medical Education Department and creating awareness on road safety among people.

Representatives from NHAI informed the meeting that 15 black spots on National Highway-44 from Lakhanpur to Srinagar have been identified and almost all the spots are cleared except the areas where four lanning/widening of roadworks are under process.

Dr. Samoon asked them to remove the blind cuts on road to avoid accidents and ensure the slope stabilizing at the earliest to avoid the blockage of highways due to land sliding. He also directed them to install crash barriers along the roadsides to prevent causalities.

Principal Secretary directed the District Administrations to remove encroachments on highways and other roads in their respective areas. He asked them to involve school children to create awareness on road safety among common masses. He also directed the concerned officers to ensure the functioning of 136 BLSA ambulances given to Health / Medical Education Department by Government of India as soon as possible to meet any eventuality.

Div Com Sanjeev Verma raised the issue regarding halting of trucks during the blockage of National Highway and informed the chair that halting points at Nagrota, Udhampur and Ramnagar have already been identified. Dr. Samoon directed the officers of PWD and NHAI to provide connectivity towards halting point so that the trucks are parked there for smooth flow of traffic on National Highway.

He asked the officials of Legal Metrology Department (LMD) and Traffic Department to work in synergy and reinforce the metres in auto rickshaws. He also reviewed the progress of Intelligent Transport System to be implemented in state and asked the concerned authorities to expedite the process and complete the implementation in stipulated time.

Earlier, Principal Secretary also convened a review meeting of Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries Departments.