SRINAGAR, July 1: Expressing profound grief and shock over fatalities in Kishtwar road accident this morning, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, former finance minister on Monday urged the Governor to take concrete steps to curb the frequency of road accidents that have assumed alarming proportions in the State.
In a condolence message issued here, Bukhari extended solidarity with the bereaved family and prayed for eternal peace to the departed soul. He also prayed for speedy recovery of the injured passengers. “I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May God give you courage to bear the loss of your near and dear ones,” he said.
Disappointed over the frequency of road accidents in Jammu and Kashmir, Bukhari said that these mishaps are becoming a new normal in the state. “Today we have lost over 30 precious human lives in Kishtwar road accident. The other day, we witnessed a heart wrenching road mishap at Pir Ki Gali loosing 11 children who had gone for a picnic. It seems the authorities concerned consider these accidents and deaths caused therein, as mere statistics!” Bukhari opined, demanding a high level committee to report on the issue and suggest concrete remedial measures to the government.
He said that there are enough of laws for regulating the traffic but unfortunately the lack of strict enforcement is missing in the state. “While it is imperative on the traffic department to regulate the traffic strictly as per the traffic laws, it is also incumbent upon the people to abide by these laws and prevent tragic mishaps that occur in our state almost on daily basis. The government also needs to focus on the widening of the roads and implementation of single lane system so that loss of life is reduced to bear minimum,” he remarked.
