People who help road mishap victims to be rewarded, announces Kinnaur DC

A district-level road safety committee meeting was held on Friday under the chairmanship of Kinnaur Deputy Commissioner Dr Amit Kumar Sharma at the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner’’s office. The meeting aimed to update all committee members about their respective responsibilities.

The Deputy Commissioner informed the committee members that people who assist road accident victims by taking them to the hospital within the ‘golden hour’ would be rewarded Rs 5,000 per incident, excluding employees engaged in essential services. This initiative aims to ensure timely medical care to accident victims. He also directed all members to prepare and submit work plans related to their departments to the committee to ensure timely implementation. Dr Sharma emphasised updating accident data on the NIC website promptly and directed the Health Department to organise camps for taxi, road transport, and truck drivers for eye check-ups and first aid awareness. He instructed committee members to install speed breakers, signboards, crash barriers, and safety fencing along roads.

He urged all the stakeholders to help reduce the number of road accidents in 2024-25 by raising awareness among drivers and conducting road safety committee meetings at the sub-divisional level. He laid emphasis on inspecting school buses and preventing unauthorised vehicles from transporting people during fairs and festivals to minimise accident risks. Road safety awareness material would be distributed widely to ensure public safety, he said.

Sharing data on road accidents in the district, Kinnaur Superintendent of Police, Abhishek Shekhar, said 31 accidents were reported in the district in 2024, resulting in 31 fatalities and 35 injuries. He highlighted police efforts to raise driver awareness and enforce strict penalties, including canceling the licences of those caught driving under the influence of alcohol.

Regional Transport Officer, Rampur, Jaspal Singh Negi, briefed attendees on initiatives undertaken by Himachal Pradesh Transport Department to promote road safety.

The meeting was attended by Sub-Divisional Magistrate Nichar Narayan S. Chauhan, Deputy Superintendent of Police Naveen Jhalta, Chief Medical Officer Dr Sonam Negi, Deputy Director of Higher Education Krishna Gopal Negi, and officials from the Public Works Department.