Aimed at curbing an alarmingly high number of road accidents in the national capital, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has called for a dedicated Road Safety Cell in the state PWD that will focus on improving engineering and traffic management, especially at identified black spots.
The call "comes in the context of a report prepared by the India Chapter of International Road Federation in which it has proposed certain simple engineering and traffic management improvements at moderate investments at ten major black spots in Delhi", the Road Transport and Highways Ministry said in a statement.
Road safety has been made an integral part of road designing, and all state governments have been asked to have dedicated Road Safety Cells in their respective Public Works Departments.
"In a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has urged him to get the report of IRF examined and send relevant proposals to the Road Transport & highways Ministry for financing," the statement said.
The identified black spots in Delhi include Sarai Kale Khan, Mori Gate, Nigam Bodh Ghat, Mukhandpur Chowk, Dr Bhabha Marg Crossing, Punjabi Bagh Chowk, ISBT Kashmiri Gate, Mahipalpur Flyover, Shani Mandir and Shahdara flyover.
"These spots have together recorded 245 accidents last year, in which 203 persons were injured while 84 lost their lives," the statement said.
In its report, the IRF has suggested features like footpaths, traffic islands, channelisation of traffic, signalisation and provision of road signs and pavement markings to make these spots safer for traffic.
He has further mentioned that the Ministry will soon launch a national initiative to remove black spots and proposals from Delhi can be accommodated therein.
The Ministry has already expressed its commitment to reducing fatalities due to road accidents to 50 per cent by 2020.
As part of the efforts, 789 black spots have been identified across the country which recorded repeated accidents/fatalities and steps are being taken to rectify engineering defects at such spots at a cost of Rs 11,000 crore.
India accounts for as high as 5 lakh road accidents per annum in which 1.5 lakh people die and another 3 lakh are crippled.
(Reopens BES 21)
"Party workers should keep their interests at bay and work for the party and common people. You should go to the grassroots level and make people aware of the work done by Modi government in various sectors," Gadkari said.
He also appealed to the party leadership in the state to nurture the common party worker who is an "inseparable part of the party".
"I joined BJP in 1980. The Congress leader and then minister for state for Home, Shrikant Jichkar had told me that BJP had no future and offered me to join Congress. I told him that I have full faith in my party and though my future is not so bright in this party, I will work for it and if someday I get frustrated, I will commit suicide but will not join Congress," Gadkari said.
During his speech, Fadnavis once again exhorted the BJP workers to gear up for upcoming elections to various civic bodies.
He asked the district BJP presidents to spend maximum time in their own region instead of Mumbai.
Danve appealed to the party workers to form small groups for reaching out to the people.
In his press conference after the meet, BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari informed about the political resolutions passed during the two-day meeting.
"In a resolution, Shiv Sena was congratulated for completing 50 years while the BJP governments in Centre and at state were congratulated for their remarkable work in last two years," he said.
Bhandari said during the meet party workers demanded the state government bring out a white paper on the "land and other frauds taken place during the 15-year rule of the Congress-NCP coalition government".
