Jammu: High Court asks admn to constitute committee to analyse road accidents

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, December 7

After series of accidents in mountainous areas of Jammu division in which many lives were lost, a Division Bench (DB) of Jammu and Kshmir and Ladakh High Court has directed the administration to constitute an expert committee to ascertain the reasons for frequent road accidents.

Panel to comprise experts

• Professor from IIT Jammu having expertise in road safety
• Engineer to be nominated by the Chief Engineer, SAMPARK
• Executive engineer to be nominated by the Chief Engineer, PWD, (R&B), Jammu
• Expert in geology with in-depth knowledge of landslides

The Division Bench at Jammu, which included Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi, took serious note of frequent road accidents on Mughal Road, Batote-Doda-Kishtwar stretch and Ramban roads.

The Bench issued direction to constitute an expert committee comprising a professor from IIT Jammu having expertise in road safety, an engineer to be nominated by the Chief Engineer, SAMPARK, an executive engineer to be nominated by the Chief Engineer, PWD, (R&B), Jammu, and an expert in geology with in-depth knowledge of landslides.

These significant directions were issued on three public interest litigations filed by Intikhab Ahmed Qazi, Bar Association Doda, and Asif Iqbal Bhat, a social activist highlighting frequent road accidents in Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley region.

The Bench further directed that Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar, who is already appointed as Nodal Officer in this PIL, will coordinate the functioning of the expert committee.

The committee has been directed to visit and inspect Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44), Batote-Kishtwar NH (NH-244) and Mughal Road and to ascertain the causes and reasons for frequent road accidents.

Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed, Syed Asim Hashmi, Rahul Raina, Supriya Chouhan, M Zulkarnain Chowdhary, Suraj Singh, Syed Majid Shah and Adnan Mushtaq Jaral appeared for the petitioners whereas Advocate Vishal Sharma and Senior Additional Advocate General SS Nanda appeared for J&K administration.

The expert committee has been directed to submit its report by or before the first week of February 2024. The PIL will come up for further proceedings on February 13.