Tamil Nadu Chief Minister takes strict action against road accidents, directs to prepare a separate action plan
Chennai: Expressing concern over the increasing road accidents in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister S. Joseph Vijay has instructed the officials to prepare a comprehensive and effective action plan. The Chief Minister said that traditional measures alone are not enough to reduce road accidents, but a long-term strategy should be prepared with scientific analysis, modern technology and coordination of various departments. He has asked the concerned departments to study the causes of accidents in detail and submit concrete suggestions.
The Tamil Nadu government is preparing to present a detailed status report for the current financial year during the monsoon session of the Assembly in the first week of August. Regarding this, Chief Minister Vijay is conducting a series of department-wise review meetings. Ministers and senior officials of each department are participating in these meetings and the government’s plans, achievements, challenges and future action plans are being discussed in detail.
In this sequence, on Tuesday, the Chief Minister held a high-level meeting at the Secretariat to review the works of the Highway Department, Animal Husbandry Department and Dairy Development Department. Ministers of concerned departments, senior administrative officers and technical experts were present in the meeting. During the review, key plans and proposals were discussed which are to be included in the upcoming status report.
Most of the attention in the meeting was focused on the issues related to the Highway Department. Expressing deep concern over the increasing road accidents in the state, Chief Minister Vijay said that every year a large number of people in Tamil Nadu lose their lives or get seriously injured in road accidents. To change such situation, the government will have to adopt a multi-pronged strategy.
The Chief Minister held detailed discussions with the Highway Minister and departmental officials. During this, the main causes of accidents, accident-prone spots (black spots), road safety measures, traffic management, improvement in road design, arrangement of signals and emergency medical services were discussed. He told the officials that road safety should not be limited to construction work only, but should also be linked to public awareness, technical monitoring and strict enforcement.
It was also discussed in the meeting that special safety measures should be taken by identifying places with higher chances of accidents. The Chief Minister directed that warning signs at black spots, better lighting, speed control measures, renovation of road markings and other necessary infrastructure facilities should be developed on priority basis.
He also asked the officials to do a thorough analysis of the accident data to find out which areas, time and reasons are causing the most accidents. The Chief Minister believes that better results can be achieved in the field of road safety by preparing a fact-based plan.
The government plans to ensure better coordination between various departments in the new action plan to be prepared. In this, the joint role of Highway Department, Transport Department, Police, Health Department and local bodies can be decided. Special arrangements were also considered to provide quick relief and medical aid in case of an accident.
During the meeting, the officials also informed the Chief Minister about the progress of highway projects, road widening, bridge construction and maintenance works. The Chief Minister directed that all development works should be completed within the stipulated time limit and there should be no compromise on quality.
Apart from this, the schemes of animal husbandry and dairy development departments were also reviewed. Major projects of these departments, schemes being run for farmers, efforts to increase milk production and progress of livestock development programs were also discussed. The Chief Minister also directed these departments to prepare detailed and factual information for the upcoming status report.
According to government sources, Chief Minister Vijay wants to ensure that by reviewing all the departments separately, the report presented in the Assembly gives a clear and transparent picture of the government’s work. Besides, department-wise priorities are also being decided for the coming months.
Experts believe that if the new action plan prepared on road safety is implemented effectively, then there can be a significant reduction in accidents and loss of life due to them in the state. In the field of road safety, engineering improvements, strict law enforcement, public awareness and better coordination of emergency services are being considered most important.
At present, Chief Minister Vijay has made it clear that road safety is one of the main priorities of the state government. He has instructed the officials to prepare a detailed action plan as soon as possible and take steps towards implementing it. It is now expected that the government’s new strategy and proposed steps to reduce road accidents will be mentioned in detail in the status report to be presented in the Assembly in the first week of August.
