Jammu, Mar 11: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today chaired a comprehensive review meeting of the Transport Department to assess the measures being taken for effective traffic management, reduction of road accidents and strengthening of road safety mechanisms across Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting besides ACS Finance; ACS, PWD; Principal Secretary, Home; Commissioner Secretary, GAD; and Secretary, Transport was attended by IGP, Traffic; Transport Commissioner; Director, Motor Garages and other concerned officers.

Deputy Commissioners and representatives from NHAI, BRO, SAMPARK and NHIDCL attended the meeting through video conferencing.

During the meeting, the Chief Secretary reviewed the implementation of key road safety initiatives, including enforcement drives by the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) and Traffic Police, functioning of the Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD) portal, and the rollout of the PM Rahat Scheme aimed at providing immediate assistance to road accident victims.

The Chief Secretary directed all departments concerned to ensure timely uploading and verification of accident data on the iRAD portal to facilitate accurate analysis and prompt corrective measures, particularly at identified black spots. He called for strict implementation of all the Supreme Court directions in letter and spirit with mandatory submission of reports of each major mishap happening on the roads here.

The Chief Secretary emphasized strict enforcement of the road safety policy on ground besides taking of engineering measures by the concerned executing agencies involved in construction of roads here.

The Chief Secretary stressed the need for stronger coordination among departments including Transport, Traffic Police, Health, Public Works and district administrations to ensure effective implementation of road safety measures. He directed for the utilization of road safety fund in favour of accident victims besides effectively implementing the PM Rahat scheme for saving the lives of such individuals.

He also directed that District Road Safety Committees must hold regular meetings and prepare district-level action plans aimed at reducing accidents and improving traffic management.He also instructed road construction agencies to regularly conduct road safety audits of existing and new roads and ensure prompt rectification of hazardous locations to minimize accident risks.

The Secretary Transport, Avny Lavasa took this occasion to inform the meeting that the Transport Department, in coordination with other agencies, has been undertaking detailed analysis of road accidents through the iRAD portal, which helps identify accident hotspots and enables data-driven interventions.

She elaborated that the Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD) system digitally records accident data and supports scientific accident investigation besides helping in taking corrective measures eventually to reduce the occurance of such mishaps leading to loss of precious lives.

The Secretary Transport further informed that stakeholders have been directed to ensure timely punching and verification of accident data on the portal. Training programmes are also being conducted in coordination with the National Informatics Centre to improve the quality and timeliness of accident reporting, she added.

Integration of electronic Detailed Accident Reports (eDAR) with judicial systems is also being pursued to streamline the accident reporting and compensation process, she apprised the meeting.

The meeting also reviewed the implementation of the Prime Minister’s Road Accident Victims’ Hospitalization and Assured Treatment (PM Rahat) Scheme, which provides cashless treatment to accident victims during the critical “golden hour”upto the amount of Rs 1.5 lakhs in each case.

It was revealed that the accident analysis carried out through the portal has helped identify 16 major accident hotspots across J&K, including locations in districts such as Jammu, Udhampur, Reasi and Srinagar. She added that since June 2022, over 3,800 accidents have been reported in Jammu district alone, while around 1,500 accidents were recorded in Srinagar, highlighting the need for targeted interventions in high-risk corridors.

The review also highlighted the extensive enforcement measures being undertaken by the Traffic Police and Motor Vehicles Department to curb violations and ensure safer roads.

The IGP Traffic, M.Suleiman reported that strict action is being taken against traffic violators under the Motor Vehicles Act. During 2025, a total of 15,947 vehicles were seized, while 786 vehicles have already been seized during 2026 so far for serious violations.

To strengthen enforcement, he added that the department has also deployed modern traffic management equipment including breath analysers, body-worn cameras, speed detection devices, reflective safety gear, traffic cones and LED traffic batons for field units.

Additionally, it was highlighted that 16 Highway Patrol Vehicles and 19 Interceptor Vehicles have been deployed for enhanced patrolling and monitoring on national and state highways, enabling swift action against traffic violations.

About the PM Rahat Scheme the Transport Commissioner, Vishesh Paul Mahajan gave out that this scheme aims to ensure immediate hospitalization of road accident victims without financial constraints and facilitates coordination among police, hospitals and the Transport Department.

Regarding its implementation the Transport Commissioner, Vishesh Paul informed that all districts of the UT had been onboarded under the scheme. Necessary financial and digital infrastructure, including RBI and PFMS accounts, has been established and live entry of accident cases under the scheme started from March 9, 2026.

The Transport Commissioner further apprised the meeting about the Road Accident Victim Fund (RAVF) being utilized to support accident-related interventions and relief measures. He divulged that ₹1226.10 lakh has been received under the fund, out of which ₹1153.10 lakh has already been released to RTOs and ARTOs, while ₹73 lakh remains available for further utilization.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to safer roads, the Chief Secretary called for greater use of technology, strict enforcement of traffic laws and enhanced public awareness campaigns to significantly reduce road accidents across Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu, Mar 11: The terrorist who was killed along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district during a failed infiltration attempt has been identified as a launching operative of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit, officials said on Wednesday.

According to the army, the terrorist was killed in the general area of Jhangar in the Nowshera sector around 3 pm on Tuesday, while he, along with another associate, was trying to sneak in from across the border.

Based on the documents and intelligence inputs, the deceased has been identified as Hamza Yousaf, a resident of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Yousaf was a senior operative of LeT’s launchpad module assigned to facilitate the infiltration of armed terrorists into the Indian side, officials said, describing his killing as a major setback for the proscribed outfit.

A huge quantity of arms and ammunition, including an AK-type rifle with two magazines, two pistols with four magazines, 58 rounds, three hand grenades, one mobile set, two SIM cards and some Pakistani currency were recovered from the possession of the slain terrorist.

However, his associate managed to escape and cross back to the Pakistani side during the encounter, officials added.

This was the second infiltration bid foiled by the army in the Rajouri sector this month. On March 4, army troops opened fire on infiltrating terrorists in the Turkandi area, forcing them to retreat.

Earlier, the army foiled an infiltration bid in the Sunderbani area of Rajouri during the intervening night of February 19-20, recovering some arms and ammunition.

“A robust operational posture and heightened alert continue across the sector. The wall stands vigilant – every infiltration bid will fail,” the army had said.

Jammu, Mar 11: A single-storey municipal council office and two residential houses were gutted in a fire in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials said on Wednesday.

The fire broke out in the municipal council building in the densely populated Kishtwar town around midnight and engulfed two nearby residential houses, a spokesperson of the fire and emergency services department said.

Three fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the blaze was controlled after strenuous efforts, the spokesperson said.

All three structures suffered extensive damage, officials said.

Police have taken cognisance of the incident and launched an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the fire, they added.