Bhubaneswar: A watershed moment in road safety unfolded at the Convention Hall of Lok Seva Bhawan, as the Odisha Commerce & Transport Department and Odisha National Cadet Corps (NCC) Directorate signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch the ‘Junior Rakshak’ initiative.
This transformative partnership, graced by Chief Guest Smt. Tukuni Sahu, Minister of Commerce & Transport Department & Water Resource Department, Smt. Anu Garg, IAS, Development Commissioner cum Additional Chief Secretary(ACS) to the Government, Smt. Usha Padhee, IAS, Principal Secretary to Government, Commerce & Transport Department, Smt Santosh Bala, CMD, Odisha State Police Housing and Welfare Corporation Limited, Amitabh Thakur, IPS, Transport Commissioner, and Colonel Sagar K Mohanty, Director of Odisha NCC Directorate, marked a resolute commitment to curb the menace of road accidents and save lives.
The historic signing of the MoU was a moment of significance, witnessed and appreciated by all present. The MoU was signed by Lal Mohan Sethi, Addl Commissioner Transport /(Road Safety) and Sagar K Mohanty, Director, NCC, Odisha. This strategic alliance of Junior Rakshak is poised to revolutionise road safety initiatives through collaborative efforts in education and training with a shared goal of creating a culture of preparedness and swift response for helping accident victims.
These NCC cadets-cum-Junior Rakshak will be the future Road Safety Ambassadors who will help in spreading road safety awareness among their friends, family and the public.
With the signing of the MoU, Odisha embarks on a transformative journey towards a future where road accidents are minimized, lives are saved, and communities thrive. Together, a pledge to spread awareness, instil responsible behaviour, and empower the youth to become the frontline defenders of road safety was taken.
Minister Tukuni Sahu inaugurated the Automated Driving Testing System (ADTS) at six locations i.e. Angul, Dhenkanal, Rourkela, Sundergarh, Keonjhar and Ganjam. Under the 5T initiative, Automated Driving Testing Systems (ADTS) is going to be implemented to help reduce accidents by ensuring that only qualified aspirants receive driving licenses. This objective and automated testing process for driving licenses makes it more efficient and transparent compared to manual testing procedures. In due course of time, this ADTS will be implemented at all RTO offices in the State.
Further under 5T initiatives, the foundation stone was laid for 23 proposed Truck Terminal locations by the Minister of Commerce and Transport Department. Roadside illegal parking is a significant cause of road accidents. Over the past 2-3 years accidents involving
Parked Vehicles on the side of the road accounted for 2207 accidents and 852 fatalities. Heavy Motor Vehicles are parked on the roadside due to inadequate parking facilities within the districts. Long-route drivers experience stress due to lack of sufficient sleep, and this is a significant contributor to road accidents. For this, the Commerce & Transport Department is going to construct Truck Terminals across the state to provide basic amenities along with cargo loading and unloading, fueling etc. facilities to the drivers.
C &T and Water Resources Minister Tukuni Sahu said that the Transport Department has initiated many initiatives starting from proper training and testing of drivers to having a resting place for long route drivers along with distribution of free tea to drivers during late night to early morning to avoid drowsiness of drivers. She requested everyone to follow road safety rules to make Odisha an accident-free State and to be the “Sarathi” of New Odisha.
Smt Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary to Govt, C & T department emphasized the role of students in creating road safety awareness among the general public. NCC is the best source for this purpose and through this huge pool of NCC cadets road safety awareness messages can be spread to all. She said that the Transport Department endeavoured to provide the best facilities to the public in the most transparent manner.
Development Commissioner Smt. Anu Garg said that some of the road accident deaths are preventable and for this, we all have a role. Due to focused attention on Disaster Management like cyclones, Odisha has ensured zero casualties. Similarly, with such initiatives, the involvement of NCC and other technological initiatives we can reduce road accident deaths.
The event concluded with the felicitation of state-level winners of various competitions and the unveiling of the ‘Yearbook on Road Accidents in Odisha,’ providing valuable insights into the trends and patterns of road accidents in the state.
Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur extended a Vote of Thanks, expressing gratitude to all participants for their unwavering commitment to the cause of road safety. He said that the Transport Department is always working towards keeping the roads safer through automation and technological innovations.
During the next phase, efforts would be made to involve all youth associations spread across the Blocks and GPs throughout the State. All efforts will be made towards making Odisha a model State in reducing accidents, he added.
