The cabinet sub-committee comprising Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema and NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Tuesday assured the transporters of the state that the State Government would share their concerns regarding provision contained in the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) prescribing punishment for causing death in a hit and run cases with the Union Government.
During a meeting with the representatives of truck and taxi unions of the state here at Punjab Bhavan, the Cabinet Sub-Committee discussed in detail the provision of punishment under Section 106 (2) of BNS for causing death due to rash and negligent driving, and escaping without reporting it to a police officer or a Magistrate soon after the incident.
The main concern of the representatives of the transport unions was the manhandling of the driver of the commercial vehicle and damaging the vehicle by the mob after the accident. The Cabinet Sub-Committee assured the unions that while sharing their concerns with the Union Government regarding this law, the Punjab government would pressurize to make necessary arrangements to ensure the safety of the driver in such cases.
He also directed the state police department to ensure that action should taken against the culprits in the cases of beating up a driver by the mob after the accidents. Regarding the demand made by the Union to take strict action against the commercial use of illegal vehicles involved in commercial activities, the Cabinet Sub-Committee directed the transport and the police department to take strict action against such vehicles immediately.
Apart from this, the cabinet sub-committee also asked the transport department to give its suggestions after studying the demand of the representatives of the taxi unions regarding bringing change in the tax system according to the sitting capacity of the vehicle.
Secretary (Transport) Dilraj Singh, State Transport Commissioner Monish Kumar, ADGP (Intelligence) Jaskaran Singh, other senior officials of Transport and Police Department, and representatives of various transport and taxi unions of the state were present in the meeting.