PILs on rampant road mishaps in Doda, Mughal road: HC gives more time to petitioners for filing suggestions
The expert panel had been constituted by the division bench on December 7, 2023, with an aim to suggest remedial and reconciliatory measures to put an end to rampant road accidents in the Doda region.
A division bench of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh comprising chief justice Tashi Rabstan and justice MA Chowdhary on Friday extended further time to advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed to file suggestions to a report of four members’ expert panel.
The expert panel had been constituted by the division bench on December 7, 2023, with an aim to suggest remedial and reconciliatory measures to put an end to rampant road accidents in the Doda region.
The panel included professor (retired) GM Bhat of the geology department, University of Jammu, who is also member, UNESCO Board of experts on natural hazards), Dr Ankit Kathuria, assistant professor, department of civil engineering, IIT, Jammu, Major Gaurav Tewari, officer commanding of 118RCC (GREF) and retired engineer Mohinder Kumar.
The division bench had directed the panel to inspect various sites of the Ramban, Batote-Doda-Kishtwar national highway, which are prone to accidents and find out reasons behind frequent road accidents.
The panel was also requested to suggest measures to make the vulnerable areas accident free with an aim to put an end to rampant road accidents and minimise human fatalities.
The division bench had also directed the panel to inspect Mughal Road to find out the causes behind accidents.
The high court had clubbed three PILs, which highlighted frequent road accidents in Doda region.
Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed, who appeared on behalf of the petitioners, submitted before the DB that the four members expert committee has furnished its detailed report indicating the reasons for frequent and has also suggested measures for preventing them.
He further submitted that the nodal officer, i.e., Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, has also submitted suggestions to the report of the expert committee and that it was on October 30 last year, the DB had granted time to the petitioners to file their suggestions to the report of the expert committee.
Advocate Ahmed further submitted that he was in touch with some experts and some more time to do the needful.
Accordingly, DB conceded his request and directed the registry to re-notify the instant PIL on April 22.