Over 14 crore rupees have been recovered from traffic violators from March 2016 to March 2021 but not a single penny was spent to promote traffic awareness in rural Kashmir, reveals the information sought under RTI Act.
RTI activist MM Suja sought information from Traffic Police Department Kashmir.
The written information provided by the authorities reveal that Rs 14,10,33256 have been recovered from violators as fine in the jurisdiction of traffic rural Kashmir from March 2016 to March 2021.
The information further discloses that 282 officers/ officials and 104 SPOs including those attached from various districts are presently deployed on traffic regulation duties in the jurisdiction of this unit comprising all districts except district Srinagar of the Kashmir valley.
It further reveals that 2954 persons lost their lives during traffic accidents in the jurisdiction of traffic rural Kashmir from in past six years.
“490 Traffic awareness programmes have been organized during the year 2020. However no expenditure has been projected / allotted for it,” reads the reply of query.
The RTI reply discloses that just Rs 6000 were spent on creating traffic awareness programmes in 2017-18, Rs 10,000 in 2019-20 while no amount was spent on organizing traffic awareness prgrammes during 2018-19 and 2020 till March 2021 in Kashmir.
As per information provided, 110 programmes have been jointly organized by Traffic Police Kashmir with Regional Transport Office Kashmir in past six years.