SRINAGAR, May 23 : Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo chaired a comprehensive review of the Transport Department to assess progress on road safety, traffic enforcement, technology adoption and implementation of key recommendations to reduce accidents across Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting — attended by ACS PWD, Principal Secretary Home, Commissioner Secretaries of Health and Law, Secretary Transport, IGP Traffic, Transport Commissioner, SIO NIC and other officials — reviewed the status of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety (SCCoRS) recommendations, road safety mechanisms, enforcement initiatives, the PM-RAHAT scheme and electronic monitoring systems.
Expressing concern over the recent Udhampur accident that killed around 21 people, the Chief Secretary directed Deputy Commissioners to submit district-wise Annual Action Plans for SCCoRS implementation, ordered accountability for the Udhampur tragedy and asked for detailed accident reports from all districts for analysis and corrective measures. He also sought action-taken reports on hit-and-run compensation cases to ensure timely assistance to affected families.
On e-Challan implementation, he instructed departments to identify and remove bottlenecks so technology-driven enforcement can deliver transparency, accountability and better compliance. He asked the PWD to explore a separate fund head for rectifying accident-prone blackspots, and urged executing agencies (BRO, NHAI, NHIDCL) to earmark resources for corrective works on roads they maintain. He also called for development of passenger zones and designated stopping areas where feasible.
Noting traffic congestion from encroachments, the Chief Secretary directed Jammu and Srinagar municipal corporations to intensify anti-encroachment drives. He ordered a comprehensive audit of school buses to ensure safety norms and an examination of trauma care upgrades in government medical colleges so specialized services (orthopaedics, neurosurgery, anaesthesia) remain available round-the-clock. Departments were asked to submit proposals and timelines for completing Critical Care Blocks.
He also urged the IT Department to coordinate with NIC and MoRTH to operationalize e-DAR and e-Court portals in J&K on the lines of Delhi and Karnataka. Emphasizing scientific road safety management, he called for extensive i-RAD training and comprehensive road audits across the Union Territory.
Transport Secretary Avny Lavasa said the J&K Road Safety Policy-2025 has been notified and a detailed Road Safety Action Plan Matrix with timelines and responsibilities is in place. District-level road safety committees have stepped up activity, increasing meetings from 18 to 35 by mid-May.
Transport Commissioner Vishesh Paul reported that Rs 1,226.10 lakh has been received under the Road Accident Victim Fund, with Rs 1,218.10 lakh released to districts. He noted ongoing disbursements under the hit-and-run compensation mechanism per government guidelines and heightened enforcement actions including vehicle seizures, licence suspensions and cancellations.
The review also covered Integrated Traffic Management Systems (ITMS): Jammu’s ITMS has been fully operational since June 2024 and Srinagar’s is functioning after earlier technical fixes. Hundreds of ANPR, RLVD, PTZ and surveillance cameras have been installed. Since June 2024, ITMS Jammu has issued over 5.34 lakh challans and Srinagar over 60,000 challans since December 2024, improving fine collection and enforcement reach.
The meeting highlighted capacity-building under i-RAD, with extensive training for Police, Health and PWD stakeholders to ensure timely, accurate data entry for better accident analysis and planning. The Chief Secretary reiterated the need for close coordination among departments to ensure effective implementation of road safety measures and reduce fatalities across the Union Territory.
