CHANDIGARH: In a significant decision aimed at saving the precious lives of people from road fatalities, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday gave nod for constituting Sadak Surakhya Force (SSF) in the state.
A decision to this effect was taken in the meeting of the council of ministers held in Chandigarh under the chairmanship of the chief minister at the Punjab Civil Secretariat on Friday afternoon.
Spokesperson of the chief minister’s office said that the Cabinet gave its consent to launch this force as a plan for road safety for covering 5,500 km of state and national highways. The Cabinet opined that Punjab has witnessed a significant increase in traffic and road infrastructure over the past few decades. The state has 72,078 km long road network including the national and state highways which constitute 5.64 % (4,025 kms) of the same.
The Cabinet expressed concern that 65% of road fatalities take place on the national and state highways adding that in the year 2021, 4,476 lives were lost in 580 road accidents. Most of these fatal accidents take place between 6:00 pm to 12:00 pm, when the presence of police on these roads is minimal. As per the decision of the Cabinet, highway patrol routes have been identified based on the past years’ road accidents trends.
As many as 144 patrolling vehicles, fitted with specialized equipment to check drunken driving and over speeding, will be deployed on these routes, each covering a distance of 30 kilometres. An amount of Rs 30 crore will be spent on purchase of vehicles and the equipment installed in them. Around 5,000 police personnels will be deployed in Sadak Suraksha Force out of which around 1,200–1,500 police personnels will be immediately enlisted out of the newly recruited police personnels.
Furthermore, as a mark of respect to the great freedom fighters who had laid their lives either during the freedom struggle of country or during any war to preserve its unity, integrity and sovereignty, the Cabinet also gave consent to set up a martyrs memorial in a leading park of every district. This memorial will have the names of the martyrs and great freedom fighters from the respective district, who had sacrificed their lives during the freedom struggle so that their enormous contribution can be perpetuated to the
younger generations.
This memorial will further inspire the coming generations for selfless service towards the country and its people.a