Srinagar: Following directives from the Supreme Court of India in the Phalodi Accident vs. NHAI case, the Jammu and Kashmir government has formally constituted District Highway Safety Task Forces across all districts in the Union Territory. Issued by the General Administration Department under Government Order No. 1412-JK(GAD) of 2026, the high-level task forces aim to overhaul road management, curb traffic fatalities, and enforce strict safety standards on key transit corridors.
Operating under a multi-agency framework, each district panel will be headed by the District Magistrate as Chairperson, alongside key officials including the Senior Superintendent of Police, Assistant Regional Transport Officer, and representatives from Traffic Police and Urban Local Bodies. Executing agencies such as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), NHIDCL, and the Public Works (R&B) Department will also sit on the task force. Chairpersons retain the authority to co-opt additional administrative or technical members as needed to address localized road safety challenges.
The task forces are charged with identifying accident-prone “black spots” to implement target engineering and enforcement interventions, as well as clearing unauthorized access points and illegal encroachments along major highways. Beyond surveillance and land-use regulation adjacent to key transit routes, the panels will streamline coordination among stakeholder departments to ensure seamless execution of road safety policies. To maintain strict administrative oversight, each task force is mandated to meet at least once every fortnight and submit regular progress reports to the government.
