Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo reviews Transport Department performance to boost road safety and technology enforcement
SRINAGAR, May 23 — Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo chaired a comprehensive review meeting of the Transport Department to evaluate progress in road safety, traffic enforcement, and technology integration aimed at reducing road accidents across Jammu and Kashmir.
Expressing deep concern over a recent tragic accident in Udhampur district that claimed 21 lives, Dulloo directed Deputy Commissioners to submit detailed district action plans following the recommendations of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety.
He demanded accountability for the Udhampur tragedy and ordered comprehensive accident reports from every district to execute corrective interventions.
The administration has planned several targeted infrastructure upgrades, with Dulloo directing the exploring of a separate fund head within the Public Works Department to fix accident-prone blackspots.
Executing agencies like the Border Roads Organisation, National Highways Authority of India, and NHIDCL were also urged to dedicate resources to road safety on their respective networks.
To address urban traffic bottlenecks, the Jammu and Srinagar municipal corporations were ordered to intensify anti-encroachment drives. Additionally, the Health Department was instructed to upgrade trauma facilities in Government Medical Colleges, ensuring that neurosurgery, orthopedics, and anesthesia services are available around the clock.
Transport Secretary Avny Lavasa shared that the Jammu and Kashmir Road Safety Policy 2025 has been notified alongside an action plan covering parking management, crash barrier installations, and bus route restructuring.
Transport Commissioner Vishesh Paul added that over 1,218 lakh rupees have been distributed to districts from the Road Accident Victim Fund to assist affected families. Enforcement has shifted heavily toward digital systems, with integrated electronic challan networks operating across the region. Since their activation, the Integrated Traffic Management Systems have generated over 5.34 lakh challans in Jammu since June 2024 and more than 60,000 challans in Srinagar since December 2024, significantly expanding electronic surveillance and enforcement.