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Jeep mishap highlights Government apathy

Staff Correspondent

DEHRA DUN: Three youths were killed and a dozen others injured when the jeep carrying a marriage party from Faitran to Sarpani village rolled down a deep khud near Chamoli on Friday.

The cause of the mishap was given out as overloading and rash driving by the local officials. This brings into sharp focus the total absence of any agency to check overloading or rash driving in the hill roads which have claimed over 1000 lives during the Yatra season over the past three years. "The Uttaranchal Government seems to be content by issuing strict warnings and guidelines for safe travel in the hills and announcing ex-gratia relief after every accident as the local police, civil and road transport officials made responsible for the task prefer to remain on a holiday," lamented Ashok Dhaundiyal a teacher in Chamoli.

Surprisingly the over two dozen Tata Sumos flagged off last year by the Tourism Minister as mobile rescue, relief and policing vans have till date not reached a single accident site.

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Jeep mishap highlights Government apathy

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