Cuttack, June 18: The state government has earmarked Rs 49 lakh for road safety and improvement of the traffic system in the city. The allotment is said to have been done following a high court order.
"We are of aware of the allocation but the police commissionerate is yet to receive the amount," assistant commissioner of police (traffic) Pradeep Kumar Dalai told The Telegraph.
Official sources said a communication issued by the state transport department mentioning the allocation was placed at the recent meeting of the police commissioner-headed Traffic Management Committee, which has been constituted by the high court for Cuttack city.
Compliance of the high court order, which had directed the state government to provide 50 per cent of the fine amount collected from traffic violators in Cuttack to improve traffic infrastructure in the city, was on the meeting agenda.
According to the letter, provision of funds to the tune of Rs 15 crore has been made for road safety in the budget estimate (non-plan) 2016-17. Of Rs 15 crore, Rs 49 lakh has been earmarked by the finance department for road safety and improvement of traffic system in Cuttack in pursuance of the high court order. An undersecretary in the transport department issued the letter to the transport commissioner on April 16, 2016.
"The allocation cannot be construed as compliance with the high court order as it expected the state government to pass on 50 per cent of the fine amount collected as penalty from traffic violators in Cuttack city on a monthly basis," said Jaydip Pal, an advocate and member of the traffic committee.
The Cuttack urban police department collects between Rs 17 lakh and Rs 21 lakh a month through fines from traffic offenders under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the Odisha Urban Police Act, 2003.
The traffic committee had moved the high court for allocation of funds for vehicles, crane and scientific gadgets from the fine money. Sustained traffic enforcement and improvement of traffic infrastructure are necessary for the city. But it is not possible to improve the present situation with the available resources, the committee had contended.
On August 1, 2014, the court directed the state government to allocate 50 per cent of the fine amount in a separate fund under the control of the DCP or the transport commissioner for road safety and improvement of traffic system in the city.
The court issued a fresh direction to the state government on October 31, 2014.
"As no action has been taken on the matter by the state government till date in spite of our earlier order, we direct the Cuttack regional transport officer that while depositing the fine amount collected by way of penalty from the traffic violators in the government treasury, 50 per cent 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 and the DCP," the division bench of Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice S.C. Parija directed in the fresh order.
