New Delhi: Concerned at high road fatalities with India accounting for 10 per cent of such global deaths, a member in the Rajya Sabha on Friday demanded enactment of a comprehensive national road safety law.
Raising the issue through special mention, Vijay Jawaharlal Darda (Cong) said "India accounts for highest number of road accidents in the world, which is 10 per cent of the global figures. During the last 10 years 11 lakh persons died in road accidents while 55 lakh were either seriously injured or permanently crippled."
He said the situation was so alarming that lakhs of families were pushed to poverty and as Planning Commission estimates the annual loss due to accidents amounted to 3 per cent of the GDP.
"A comprehensive national road safety law is needed to deal with fractured licensing system, weak enforcement of traffic laws and obsolete acts," Darda said. A large number of members associated themselves with the demand.
Through another mention, Arvind Kumar Singh (SP) demanded giving license to opium poppy farmers from Ghazipur to boost the opium industry in the area while Chaudhary Munavver Saleem (SP) sought opening of a High Court bench in Bhopal.
Avinash Rai Khanna (BJP) demanded compulsory insurance of life and property of people in areas frequently affected by communal violence while Husain Dalwai (Cong) urged the government to implement a report from Director General of Police for increasing minorities representation in police.
V P Nishad (SP) said there is need for constitutional amendment to include 17 backward castes of UP under SC category while Vivek Gupta (AITC) said steps were needed to remove problems faced by jute growers in West Bengal.
P Rajeev (CPI-M) sought a new legislation to control increasing NPAs of banks while Ambeth Ranjan (BSP) demanded implementation of reservation policy in railway caterings.
Derek O Brien (AITC) raised the issue of offering commissions to doctors in the healthcare system and demanded a check on it.
