Boudh,Aug 29 [UDN}: The review meeting of the Boudh District Road Safety Committee was held today under the chairmanship of District Collector Bibhuti Bhushan Nayak. The meeting reviewed several important aspects of road safety, including the proceedings of the District Highway Safety Task Force Committee, collection of fines under the Motor Vehicles Act, road accidents and fatalities occurring in the district, action taken on the decisions of the previous District Road Safety Committee meeting, and various other road-safety-related issues.
Regional Transport Officer Sushama Sahu welcomed all the participants and presented the department’s activities and achievements through a PowerPoint presentation.
Addressing the meeting, the District Collector said that ensuring the safety of the lives and property of the people of Boudh district should be the top priority. He stressed the need for strict enforcement of road-safety rules, particularly the compulsory use of helmets, regular checking of drunk drivers and collection of fines from violators. He also directed that no one should dump sand, metal or other construction materials on roads and that heavy vehicles should not be parked on roadsides in a manner that obstructs traffic or creates safety hazards.
For effective implementation of these measures, the Transport, Police, Excise and Tahasildar authorities will take joint action. The Collector also directed the Rural Development, Works, Transport departments and Tahasildars to undertake coordinated drives to remove encroachments from all roads across the district.
The review revealed that during the first seven months of 2026, a total of 6,690 challans were issued in the district and fines amounting to ₹1.84 crore were collected. According to the Regional Transport Office, 89 cases were registered for failure to wear seat belts, 2,530 cases for riding or driving without helmets, 2,544 cases for over-speeding and 166 cases for drunk driving. During the same period, 921 driving licences were suspended for violations.
The Police Department also reported that through the e-challan system, 1,355 challans were issued for riding without helmets, 535 challans for not wearing seat belts and 108 challans for drunk driving.
It was further revealed that during the first seven months of this year, 49 people lost their lives in road accidents in Boudh district, while 50 people sustained serious injuries. The figures highlighted the urgent need for stronger enforcement, public awareness and coordinated preventive measures to reduce road accidents and fatalities.
On the occasion, Ashok Kumar Pandia, a lecturer and Road Safety Master Trainer, was honoured as a Best Samaritan for his efforts in saving lives during road accidents. He was presented with a cash award of ₹2,000 in recognition of his humanitarian service and contribution to road safety.
The review meeting was attended by DSP Gourang Charan Sahu, R&B Engineer Kuna Charan Singh, District Excise Superintendent Shanti Marandi, District Chief Medical Officer Dr. Mahendra Kumar Sahu, MVI Sanjay Kumar Behera, Traffic Inspector Debashish Nayak, NH SDO Prashant Kumar Sahu, Truck Owners’ Association President Shiva Mishra, Private Bus Association representative Sheikh Samiullah, District Information and Public Relations Officer Bidyapati Panda, along with officials and members from various concerned departments.
The meeting underlined the district administration’s commitment to strengthening road-safety enforcement, improving coordination among departments and taking concrete measures to reduce accidents and ultimately make Boudh a district with zero road-accident fatalities.