Chhattisgarh HC seeks an affidavit on road safety
ROADS & HIGHWAYS

Chhattisgarh HC seeks an affidavit on road safety

The Chhattisgarh High Court, hearing a suo-moto PIL following the deadly accident in Kawardha district that claimed the lives of 19 members of the Baiga tribe on May 21, has directed state and national highway authorities to file an affidavit in compliance with road safety directions.

Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Parth Prateem Sahu of the division bench of the Supreme Court held in the S. Rajaseekaran v. Union of India case that affidavits had to contain information on the actions taken, circulars sent, and the status of safety committees.

The National Highway Authority of India in Bilaspur, the regional officer of the National Highway Division in Raipur, and the transport commissioner for Chhattisgarh have all been summoned by the court to submit personal affidavits. The actions performed in response to the Supreme Court's order are to be described in these affidavits. Records of any directives and circulars issued to lower the number of traffic accidents on state and federal routes must also be included. In accordance with directives from the Supreme Court, they must also report on the state and efficacy of district road safety committees. The court's decision was made at the suo-moto public interest lawsuit (PIL) hearing, which was prompted by news accounts of the tragic tragedy that claimed 19 lives. A pick-up truck carrying 36 people was overloaded. The driver and some men jumped off the vehicle to save themselves, but the 19, all of whom were women and girls, died. The vehicle was also carrying 30 sacks of tendu leaves and lacked a fitness certificate and proper indicators. A division bench observed that while providing ex-gratia compensation to the families of the deceased or injured in a car accident may be beneficial in certain cases, when a family member passes away, no matter how much money is given, it will never be able to fill the void left in the dependents' lives, and the family as a whole is destroyed. The state should make every effort to eliminate any potential causes of a road accident fatality and to take all essential precautions. In addition, the PIL has drawn attention to Bilaspur's serious traffic problems, which have resulted in 107 fatalities over the last four years, mostly from drunk driving. There are rumours that the high accident rate is mostly caused by roadside cafes that serve alcohol. Speeding, stray animals, poor road upkeep, insufficient illumination, inadequate signs, and improper patrols are among the problems. The Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety's March 29, 2022 letter was one of the materials the court cited in support of the Supreme Court's ongoing efforts to increase traffic safety. The establishment and functioning of district road safety committees in accordance with Section 315 of the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 were covered in this letter. Additionally, a conference held on April 6, 2023, concentrated on harmonising protocols for electronic surveillance and enforcing road safety.

The Chhattisgarh High Court, hearing a suo-moto PIL following the deadly accident in Kawardha district that claimed the lives of 19 members of the Baiga tribe on May 21, has directed state and national highway authorities to file an affidavit in compliance with road safety directions. Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Parth Prateem Sahu of the division bench of the Supreme Court held in the S. Rajaseekaran v. Union of India case that affidavits had to contain information on the actions taken, circulars sent, and the status of safety committees. The National Highway Authority of India in Bilaspur, the regional officer of the National Highway Division in Raipur, and the transport commissioner for Chhattisgarh have all been summoned by the court to submit personal affidavits. The actions performed in response to the Supreme Court's order are to be described in these affidavits. Records of any directives and circulars issued to lower the number of traffic accidents on state and federal routes must also be included. In accordance with directives from the Supreme Court, they must also report on the state and efficacy of district road safety committees. The court's decision was made at the suo-moto public interest lawsuit (PIL) hearing, which was prompted by news accounts of the tragic tragedy that claimed 19 lives. A pick-up truck carrying 36 people was overloaded. The driver and some men jumped off the vehicle to save themselves, but the 19, all of whom were women and girls, died. The vehicle was also carrying 30 sacks of tendu leaves and lacked a fitness certificate and proper indicators. A division bench observed that while providing ex-gratia compensation to the families of the deceased or injured in a car accident may be beneficial in certain cases, when a family member passes away, no matter how much money is given, it will never be able to fill the void left in the dependents' lives, and the family as a whole is destroyed. The state should make every effort to eliminate any potential causes of a road accident fatality and to take all essential precautions. In addition, the PIL has drawn attention to Bilaspur's serious traffic problems, which have resulted in 107 fatalities over the last four years, mostly from drunk driving. There are rumours that the high accident rate is mostly caused by roadside cafes that serve alcohol. Speeding, stray animals, poor road upkeep, insufficient illumination, inadequate signs, and improper patrols are among the problems. The Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety's March 29, 2022 letter was one of the materials the court cited in support of the Supreme Court's ongoing efforts to increase traffic safety. The establishment and functioning of district road safety committees in accordance with Section 315 of the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 were covered in this letter. Additionally, a conference held on April 6, 2023, concentrated on harmonising protocols for electronic surveillance and enforcing road safety.

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Karnataka Seeks Rs.5,000 Crore World Bank Aid for Disaster Resilience

To strengthen Bengaluru's status as a global IT-BT hub while addressing its vulnerability to natural disasters, the Karnataka government has sought Rs.50 billion in financial assistance from the World Bank under a proposal called the Disaster Resilience Initiative. Of this, Rs.35 billion is earmarked for Bengaluru, with the remaining Rs.15 bilion allocated for disaster-prone cities like Belagavi and Mangaluru. According to government officials, Rs.25 billion will go to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for modernising the city’s stormwater drains, which have been neglected for t..

Next Story
Building Material

JSW Group and POSCO to Establish Greenfield Steel Plant in Keonjhar

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced that JSW Group, in collaboration with South Korean steel giant POSCO, will set up a greenfield steel facility in his home district of Keonjhar. This development follows speculation regarding the location of the joint venture. During his two-day visit to Keonjhar to celebrate Diwali, Majhi disclosed that discussions about the steel plant took place during roadshows for the upcoming Make-in-Odisha conclave held in Delhi and Mumbai. He confirmed that the two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the plant, which w..

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Coal India Eyes Dividend Return

Coal India Ltd. (CIL) is optimistic about rejoining the list of dividend-paying companies, primarily due to a notable improvement in the performance of its subsidiary, Eastern Coalfields Ltd. (ECL). ECL’s operational efficiency and financial performance have seen considerable progress, contributing positively to CIL’s overall profitability. After missing its dividend payout last year—a rarity given its history as a reliable dividend stock—CIL is working to restore shareholder confidence through enhanced production targets and cost-cutting measures. ECL's focused strategy on boosting pr..

Hi There!

"Now get regular updates from CW Magazine on WhatsApp!

Join the CW WhatsApp channel for the latest news, industry events, expert insights, and project updates from the construction and infrastructure industry.

Click the link below to join"

+91 81086 03000