Opinion- How many more deaths on the roads of Punjab would be sufficient for Badal duo, to begin taking concrete remedial measures to control the chaotic traffic?

As we are aware, 12 innocent citizens including women and children lost their lives in two separate road accidents couple of days back in the state. While a family of 5 belonging to Nakodar died on the Chandigarh-Nawan Shahar highway, 7 women and children died in a horrific accident near Barnala city in Malwa.

The Badal Government must hang its head in shame, that despite approx. 5000 deaths of ordinary citizens due to road accidents in Punjab annually, it has deputed only 1820 traffic police men for the whole state, while there are 4120 security personnel to guard 1294 VIP’s. This is not only a cruel joke with the people but amounts rubbing salt on the wounds of those affected by road accidents.    

Like other primary issues of the ordinary citizens such as Education, Healthcare, Unemployment, drug menace etc., the burning issue of deaths due to road accidents in Punjab, are nowhere on the agenda of the Badal Government.

Needless to mention, more than 5000 people are killed in road accidents each year in Punjab and an equal number are permanently handicapped for life. In other qwords 10-15 precious human lives are lost each day on the roads of the state, due to road accidents.

Only in march this year, 13 innocent school children were killed on the spot near Nakodar, when a truck rammed head on to the school van carrying these small children. There was a lot of hue and cry from the parents of these children and the concerned citizens of the area, which forced the Transport Minister to order a judicial inquiry into the accident only to be trashed in the dustbin.

The fury of large number of preventable deaths due to road accidents has been going on for the past many decades, but unfortunately no govt. has bothered to rectify the grossly erroneous road traffic management in Punjab.

Politicians of hues are busy attacking each other on unimportant issues but no one has thought it appropriate to fight the menace of road accidents. It is all the more saddening to note that a veteran politician like Badal CM with 60 years of political experience and 5th time in the saddle, doesn’t think that loss of 5000 human lives on roads each year needs to be tackled. He has all the energy and capacity to attack Sonia Gandhi, Dr. Manmohan singh and holds the Congress responsible for all the ills in the country. But prefers to turn a complete blind eye when it comes to road accidents, probably the Badal family are safe enough as they travel in luxurious choppers, airplanes or with cavalcade of escort vehicles while on the ground.

Most deaths on road accidents can actually be termed murders, since drivers indulge in gross negligence and have no fear of law. Police are more busy ensuring the safety of VVIP’s like the Badal-Sukhbir-Majithia troika, while the ordinary are left at the mercy of God on our roads.

We also need to amend our laws, as present weak laws such as 304 of the IPC, death due to negligent driving are ineffective and bailable within no time.

Therefore, Congress questions the CM and the Deputy CM as to how many more deaths on our roads would be enough before they start taking concrete action. It is also suggested that let the VIP’s of Punjab shed their personal securitymen, so that they can be deployed for the safety of the ordinary people.

(The author is Official Spokesperson, PPCC and ex-MLA.)