A man jumps over a divider in Cuttack. Telegraph picture

Cuttack, Nov. 14: Orissa High Court has issued a fresh direction to the state government to keep 50 per cent of the fine amount collected from traffic violators in Cuttack exclusively for road safety and improvement of traffic system here.

The court has specified that the amount would be spent by the deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Cuttack, following the decision of traffic management committee for Cuttack city.

Successive Cuttack DCPs in traffic management committee meetings had prioritised proper rule enforcement and improvement of traffic infrastructure was necessary. But it is not possible to improve the present situation with the available resources.

The committee was constituted by the high court on February 3, 2011.

The court had, on August 1, 2014, directed the state government to allocate 50 per cent of the fine amount in a separate fund under control of DCP, Cuttack, or transport commissioner for road safety and improvement of traffic system in the city.

The court issued the fresh direction on October 31 stating that the state government had till date issued no direction to comply with the order.

The division bench of Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice S.C. Parija in its fresh order, a certified copy of which was made available today said: “ We direct the regional transport officer (RTO), Cuttack, that while depositing the fine amount collected as penalty from violators of Cuttack city in the government treasury, 50 per cent of such fine amount shall be kept in a separate savings bank account in the State Bank of India, Main Branch, Cuttack, which shall be jointly operated by the RTO, Cuttack and DCP, Cuttack.”

“The amount deposited in the said account shall be exclusively spent for meeting all necessary expenditure for road safety and improvement of traffic system in Cuttack city, as per the decision of the Trafic Management Committee,” it said.