Panel fails to submit report on accidents, draws High Court ire

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, March 22

Expressing its displeasure, a Division Bench of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh has asked an expert committee, which was set up in December last year, to inspect “vulnerable spots” on the Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban National Highway and Mughal Road and suggest measures to reduce accidents on these roads.

Hundreds of lives lost

Hundreds of lives have been lost in accidents in mountainous areas of Jammu and Kashmir, especially in Doda and Kishtwar, for which the J&K administration has time and again faced severe criticism, but to no avail.

Taking up the much-publicised PIL highlighted multiple deaths in road accidents, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice MA Chowdhary expressed its displeasure over the delay in the inspection by the committee. The panel had earlier been asked by the Bench to submit its detailed report by second week of February.

The Bench on Friday asked the expert committee to submit the report by the next date of hearing on April 22.

When three clubbed PILs came up for hearing, advocate SS Ahmed along with advocates Rahul Raina, Supriya Chouhan and Syed Majid Shah, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that it was unfortunate that the nodal officer — Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar — appointed by the Bench last year had taken the directions of the court “casually”. Ahmed claimed the Divisional Commissioner had failed to facilitate the inspection of the vulnerable sites through the committee.

Ahmed argued that there was no end to the loss of lives on the roads, particularly in the hilly terrain of Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban and Mughal Road. In view of the “non-serious” attitude of the nodal officer, Ahmed sought his personal appearance before the court. The Division Bench expressed displeasure over non-submission of the status report by the nodal officer.

After considering the submissions of Ahmed, the Bench directed the committee to visit the sites for which the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, shall take necessary steps and submit a report thereof by the next date of hearing.

Hundreds of lives have been lost in accidents in mountainous areas of J&K, especially in Doda and Kishtwar, for which the J&K administration has time and again faced severe criticism but to no avail.

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