Book PWD officials for negligence: NGO

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 26

Following three major road accidents in Himachal Pradesh wherein 39 precious lives were lost, an NGO Arrive SAFE has lodged a complaint with the district police chiefs of Kinnaur, Shimla and Chamba demanding registration of criminal cases against PWD officials, whom the NGO accuses of negligence, resulting in fatal accidents.

In his complaints president of the NGO, Harman Singh Siddhu stated that 19 years ago he too met with an accident in Sirmaur area that rendered him immobile and confined him to a wheel-chair for lifetime. Now he was fighting to get justice for others. Harman sustained a spinal injury in October 1996 when his car rolled down into a gorge in Sirmaur district due to poor road conditions.

Citing the precedence of July 2014 accident in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh wherein a motorcyclist lost his life while crossing a bridge, Harman said that the Madhya Pradesh Government had booked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials under Sections 304, 336 and 288 of the IPC.

Cases under section 304 and 336 of the IPC for causing death due to negligence and endangering life and safety of people should be registered against the erring officials in respect of recent accidents in the state on the analogy of MP, he said, demanding that probe should be ordered to ascertain whether the constructions were as per the norms and standards set by the Indian Road Congress.

He said that the Public Works department (PWD) is duty bound to erect Guard Railings along the roads so that vehicles do not fall into gorge if go out of control.

Maintaining that it was criminal on part of the state PWD, not to have put the Guard Railings in place as per the specification, he urged the government to include by name the concerned Executive Engineer, Sub Divisional Engineer and Junior Engineer of Chamba, Shimla and Kinnaur as respondents.