No respect or concern for loss of lives

News report that at least 15 people of a marriage party were killed and 18 injured in a road accident in Prakasam district of AP is most disturbing and deplorable. There appears to be no value and concern for human lives in India. This is not just a stray or rare case in any state – such incidents/accidents are very common and frequent, about which the CM of the State concerned may not even be aware of it .

If such loss of human lives occurs in respect of a train, the visual media would have been more active, and the news papers would even be writing editorials. A statement and air dashing visit to the site by the Railway Minister, a statement of condolence from PM, and even a probable statement in Parliament would have followed. Death/loss of life is the same irrespective of the mode of travel – road, rail or air. It is time India called an end to all the awkward and ghastly tolerance towards loss of lives on roads.

Either all state governments or the central government must wakeup and enact and frame suitable laws on the lines of the existing ones in Railways, to conduct statutory enquiry, fix responsibility, followed by bringing to book those responsible, taking immediate preventive and corrective actions.

These should be followed by filing action taken reports in legislatures. Every state must have a CRS (Commissioner for Road Safety), a statutory authority, similar to Commissioner for Railway Safety of Railways. It shall be binding on officials concerned for initiating and completing preventive and corrective actions as recommended by the CRS and they shall submit action taken reports, too.

A G K Murthi, Hyderabad