Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Alarming increase in road accidents, says Minister

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As many as 1,312 persons were killed in 12,953 road accidents between January and April this year, Transport Minister Mathew T. Thomas has said.

Replying to questions in the Assembly on Wednesday, Mr. Thomas said 220 persons died in 1,326 accidents in 2005 and 3,778 persons were killed in 39,917 road accidents occurred in 2007.

The rise in number of accidents is alarming. The number of accidents on the National Highway during 2007 was 10,907, State Highways 6,258 and other district roads 22,752.

He said more interceptors would be pressed into service to check over-speeding. Automated driving test system would be introduced in the State. Stringent punishment, including imprisonment, should be given for drunk driving. Court proceedings on accidents had become a farce as the witnesses turn hostile, he said.

KSRTC services were totally or partially affected for 88 days due to hartals, with an average daily loss of Rs.3 crore.

The corporation had to give Rs.73.98 crore as compensation for accidents. On an average, Rs.12 crore was being given as accident compensation a year, the Minister added.

Local Self-government Minister Paloli Mohammed Kutty said the health insurance scheme implemented in the unorganised sector in Kollam and Alappuzha districts would be extended to 12 districts.

The scheme proposed by the former UDF government was against the norms laid by the Centre.

The Cabinet would finalise the details of the new scheme to be implemented through the local self-government institutions. Officials should not be blamed for the lapses in the scheme proposed by the UDF government, Mr. Mohammed Kutty said.

The norms for constructing buildings on national and State highways as well as district and rural roads were finalised.

New buildings would be permitted only 35 metres away from the centre of the National Highways, 20 metres from the centre of State Highways and 15 metres from the centre of district roads. In the case of rural roads, it is 3 metres from the edge of the road, he said.

Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac said there was no proposal to revise the salary of government employees. Goods were being smuggled through 10 secret routes into the State between Walayar and Meenakshipuram check-posts on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.

Intelligence squads were strengthened to prevent such instances. As many as 154 cases were registered and 154 vehicles seized in connection with such incidents, he said.

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