Expressing deep anguish and grief over loss of a young life in tragic road mishap on the highway near Jagti in Nagrota Assembly Constituency, Provincial President and MLA Devender Singh Rana on Monday sought responsibility to be fixed for mismanagement of traffic, resulting in the fatal accidents.Pacifying agitated residents, who blocked the National Highway following tragic death of a 12th class student, Sahil Hussain by negligently driven vehicle, Rana questioned the absence of traffic police at the stretch, used for idle parking of trucks on sides of the road.
“In the first instance, parking of trucks on both sides of the road is extremely bad management of traffic and more worrying factor is absence of road regulating cops at the messy section of the highway”, he said, demanding that the erring officers should be held accountable. He said road mishaps have alarmingly increased and there is greater need of enforcing regulations and intensifying traffic checks.As the protesters were unrelenting, demanding stern action against the erring driver and the concerned traffic agency, Rana took up the issue with Deputy Commissioner, Jammu and the Inspector General of Police, Traffic.
Soon after, the Deputy Commissioner, along with senior civil and police officers rushed to the spot and discussed the matter with the MLA and the irate mob.Rana sought stern action against the negligent driver and his immediate arrest besides action against the traffic cops for dereliction of duties.Only after the police arrested the driver and traffic cops were placed under suspension besides senior officers assuring the MLA and agitating people about stringent action to be initiated against all those found responsible for the mishap, the locals dispersed on the insistence of Rana.The Provincial President later visited Village Khui in Panchayat Chibba and consoled the inconsolable family members, relatives and friends of the deceased young boy. He described the accident as most tragic, saying no words were enough to minimize the agony of grieving family. He expressed solidarity with the family and prayed for peace to the departed soul.He also sought adequate compensation and immediate punitive action against the guiltily and those responsible for managing the traffic. (KNS)