High Court forms panel to examine reasons of bus accident

Vijay Arora

Shimla, July 3

Expressing serious concern on the school bus mishap at Jhanjheri, Shimla in which two school children and one driver were killed on Monday, the Himachal Pradesh High Court today constituted a three-member committee to examine the causes which led to the accident.

Expending the scope of the work of the committee, the court directed it to examine the causes for the recurrence of such accidents, problems created either due to the haphazard parking of vehicles or absence of retaining walls/railings and road conditions. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice V Ramasubramanian and Justice Anoop Chitkara passed these orders taking cognizance on this tragic incident.

After hearing the matter and on the suggestions given by the advocates in this regard, the court has constituted a three-member committee comprising Jaswant Singh, Member of Council of Indian Road Congress (IRC), Rajeev Gupta, Retired Chief General Manager, HRTC and Satish Sagar, Retired Chief Engineer, HPPWD, Member IRC & State Quality Monitor (SQM).

While constituting the expert committee, the court was of the view that there is no need to constitute committee of bureaucrats in the matter of such nature and the committee constituted should have experts, who know the magnitude of problem, its nature and possible solution.

The court also directed the committee that in its report it would focus on availability of infrastructure, steps that can be taken by the government with least financial implication and to suggest ways and means of strengthening the law enforcement so far as traffic is concerned.

The court has also given liberty to the committee to receive suggestions from other experts in the field as well as members of the public and directed it to meet at periodic intervals and submit the interim report with regard to the roads in and around Shimla, only within two weeks.

During the course of hearing, Shrawan Dogra, senior advocate and amicus curiae in the matter, submitted suggestions with regard to road management, traffic management and alternate mode of transportation in and around Shimla and also suggested names of experts, who could be members of a committee to be constituted for submitting concrete suggestions.