Taking tough stand against the encroachments in the city, District Development Commissioner, Niraj Kumar today constituted a team of officers for carrying out anti-encroachment drive in the city.The decision was taken during the meeting of District Road Safety Committee (DRSC) held here today.The DDC held detailed discussions on various issues like Traffic management and decongestion in the city, Shifting of Rehris and street hawkers to alternate locations, steps required for reducing number of accidents, holding of awareness camps for sensitizing the drivers especially the young drivers etc.In order to decongest and manage the traffic at crucial junctions, it was decided that all the Rehris would be shifted to identified places besides making traffic diversion at some places to ease out traffic pressure in the city. 'An anti-encroachment drive would be launched by the district administration in this regard', told the DDC and called upon the concerned officers to maintain strict vigil to check encroachments.Regarding the issue of overloading, it was decided that additional buses would be deployed in the areas where overloading is a problem. Besides this, strict action would also be taken against the drivers who would be found indulged in the practice of overloading, said the DDC. He also sought cooperation from Transport union in reducing the number of accidents in the town and asked them to inform the concerned officers, if any driver was found drunken so that action against the defaulter can be taken.
It was also given out in the meeting that sign –boards depicting the speed limit would be installed at various roads to check overspeeding, added the DDC. Further, the DDC stressed on the need for imparting road safety education to the students of schools and colleges and directed the concerned Principals to ensure that the students must wear helmets and do not use mobile phones while driving. ARTO Udhampur was asked to organize awareness camps for sensitizing the common masses about the road signals/symbols. The DDC further directed the Ex-En R&B to take requisite steps for better upkeep of roads to prevent accidents.The meeting was attended by ACR Subhash Chander Dogra, CPO Ashok Khajuria, CMO Dr. K.C Dogra, CEO MC Santosh Kotwal, Chief Education Officer , J.R Bhardwaj, Ex-En R&B, DIO NIC Anil Sharma, DIO Esha Chib ,ARTO Rajesh Gupta, DySP HQ Kameshwar Puri, Dy SP Traffic D. Gupta, Principals of GHSSs, Rep. of 35 BRTF, CRPF and Army besides prominent citizens.