Jammu: Minister of State for Transport Sunil Kumar Sharma Monday inaugurated 29th National Road Safety Week at Gulshan Ground Jammu.
While speaking on the occasion, the Minister underscored the importance of Road Safety & Celebrating the National Road Safety Week and the message to be driven out of it. He said every year almost 1,50000/- (one lakh fifty thousand) persons lose their lives in road accidents in India in over eight lakh accidents. In J&K alone every year we lose nearly 1000 lives in over 5000 accidents, he added. “All of us need to take precautionary measures in respect of Road Safety by strictly following traffic rules”, he asserted. He asked the people to always take measures like wearing Helmets, Seat belts, abstain from mobile phone usage while driving and alike. He also emphasized for good driving practices for Commercial Vehicles and highlighted the achievements of State Government and Central Government in taking appropriate measures for improving the road conditions.
Sharma informed that the Government has spent crores of rupees in the road sector and J&K has secured over 2200 crore Central funding for improvement of roads in the State.
Minister appreciated the Motor Vehicles Department for organizing different events throughout the week to make people aware about road safety rules. He asked the students to propagate the message of Road Safety in their schools and to all members in their family. He also appreciated Transport Commissioner and his whole team for bringing transparency and total digitization in the system.
Transport Commissioner J&K, Saughat Biswas, while welcoming the participants highlighted the need of National Road Safety Week and events being organized in the week long program. He asked the students to act as ambassador’s of Road Safety Mission and make their parents and neighbor aware of importance of road Safety rules and regulations.
On the occasion, Juhi, Radio Jockey from 92.7 Big FM also interacted with the students and administered the pledge on road safety.
The Minister, later, flagged off the rally from Gulshan Ground and participated in it along with officers of the Motor Vehicles Department, Traffic Police Department, School Education Department which passed through police Headquarter Chowk, Ambedkar Chowk, Green Belt Park and culminated at Green Field, Gandhi Nagar. More than 1000 students from different schools participated in the rally.
Deep Raj, RTO Jammu presented vote of thanks.
Other Officers who attended the program were SSP Jammu, Vivek Gupta, SSP Traffic, Jammu Joginder Singh; MDSRTC Mir Afroz; Director, Garages Zakir Chowdhary; Additional Transport Commissioner Mohinder Singh; Joint Transport Commissioner Vikas Sharma; Additional Secretary State Road Safety Council, Ramesh Kumar Bhat; Chief Education Officer Jammu Joginder Kumar Soodan; ARTOs, Transport Associations, Automobile Dealers and other staff members of department.
