7 Jan : The Minister of Road Transport and Highways Shri Kamal Nath presented the Fifth National Road Safety Awards at New Delhi today. The awards were presented at the Valedictory Function of the Week long Road Safety Week celebrations being organized across the country. Calling for concerted efforts by all the stakeholders and govt departments and Ministeries, Shri Nath said there is a need for an integrated approach by the PWD, Police, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Transport to tackle the threat of road accidents. Speaking at the culmination programme of road safety week for the year 2010, he said that “our efforts to reduce road crashes and fatalities should not culminate here rather we should actually start propagating measures to promote road safety with renewed vigour throughout the year”.
At the occasion, the Minister announced, “the Government is actively considering creation of National Road Safety and Traffic Management Board and a bill in this regard has been finalized.” He said, the Board would act as a dedicated agency to oversee road safety activity in the country and would have powers to issue guidelines on a wide range of issues concerning road safety.
He also said that the Ministry has taken up the matter of printing road safety sign on the inside of the front and back cover of all school books with the HRD Ministery and that he has also requested HRD Minister for inclusion of Road Safety Education in the school curriculum.
Talking about the other measures taken by the Ministry, Shri Nath informed the gathering that the Government is aligning the vehicle regulations with International ECE regulations. Till today, the Ministry has technically aligned more than 40% of the international regulations since 2006. As regards ascertaining minimum fitness requirement of in use vehicles, he said that the Ministry is also focusing on strengthening Inspection and Certification system that would help in reducing road accidents attributed to mechanical fault in vehicles. A scheme has been developed in the Ministry to set up one model Inspection and Certification Centers each in the States/UTs.
The Minister presented the Road Safety awards in both individual and NGO category. Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Mahadev Singh Khandela was also present at the function. Muskaan, the NGO from Jaipur was presented the award for its meritorious work in educating and spreading awareness on road safety amongst students, youth and general public through road safety school education programme, theatre and road shows, TV & Radio programmes since 2001. The NGO have already educated more than one lac students from class 1 to 12 on road safety.
Makkal Sevai Maiyam, a public charitable trust established in the year 2003 at Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu was presented the award as runners up under NGO category for creating awareness in Road Safety among people and to provide free Ambulance Service to accident victims.
The award for the winner in the individual category went to Dr.A.M. Ikram, a Medical Practitioner working as a Chief Traffic Warden Officer in the Tamilnadu Police since 1997. He has been awarded for providing his best services to the general public in spreading road safety awareness.
Shri Vinayak Narayan Revankar was selected for the runners up award in the individual category for his contributions made in spreading road safety awareness particularly in the Kolhapur region.
National Award on Road Safety was instituted by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in the year 2000 to recognize and encourage work done by Institutions/NGOs and Individuals working in the field of Road Safety. This Award is given every year in two categories i.e. for Institutions/NGO and Individual.
At present the award comprises of a cash prize of Rs. 1, 00,000/- for NGO and Rs. 50,000/- for Individual alongwith a certificate and a trophy. The runners up in both the categories are given Rs. 30,000/- and Rs. 15,000/- alongwith a certificate respectively.