Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday said his government has adopted a four-fold strategy to make the roads safe through enforcement, education, improvement in road engineering and emergency care (4E).
He said this while addressing the SAFE Convention organised by ‘Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers’ (SIAM) here. The chief minister said road safety is a high priority area for his government.
Patnaik also inaugurated an exhibition of new safe technologies for automobiles.
Highlighting the state’s performance in road safety initiatives, Patnaik said that Odisha has scored 66 per cent and categorized as ‘high performer’ in implementing road safety measures during audit conducted by the Supreme Court Committee on road safety.
He further said the Supreme Court Committee has also rated some of Odisha’s initiatives as best practices and suggested recommendation to neighbouring states.
"Our Government has also started a Reward Scheme for the people who help road accident victims. I am happy to share that more and more people are coming forward to help the road accident victims," he added.
Stating that road accidents are a serious cause of concern for all, Patnaik said many people lose their lives in road accidents across the country, including Odisha every year.
This has a serious impact on families and our economy, he said. As many as 25,257 people were killed in road accidents in Odisha during last five years, official sources said.
(With PTI Inputs)
