category Regional, jalandhar, , tags Regional, jalandhar, , DW BUREAU Jalandhar Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday rolled out a dedicated Sadak Surakhya Force (SSF) to streamline traffic movement and check road accidents in the state. Addressing a gathering on the launch of the SFF here, he said Punjab is the first state to constitute such a force. He expressed concern over fatalities in road accidents. According to data, he said, road accidents claim 17-18 lives in Punjab every day. More than 500 people die every month and nearly 6,000 people die (in road accidents) in a year, he added. Mann named various prominent personalities, including former president Giani Zail Singh, Congress leader Rajesh Pilot, and actor and comedian Jaspal Bhatti, who died in road accidents. He said that 65 per cent of these deaths take place on national and state highways, adding that most of these fatal accidents take place when the presence of police on these roads is minimal. Mann also flagged off 129 hi-tech vehicles of the SSF. He said SSF personnel will be deployed every 30 kilometres on roads to protect people. This is a historic occasion as Punjab has become the first state to launch this ambitious scheme to save the precious lives of people, the chief minister said. It will go a long way in saving the lives of people and streamlining traffic movement, he added. The idea for forming this force did not come overnight but it was the result of a serious review of this serious problem, Mann said, adding when he was an MP, he had raised the issue of road accidents in Lok Sabha. Since then, he said, it was on his mind to form a force to save the lives of people in the coming days. Today, my dream has come true, he said. With the constitution of this force, police will be able to discharge their duties far more effectively, the chief minister said. The SSF will be instrumental in saving people s lives and now monthly data will be analysed to judge the working of the force. The data will be shared with people every month, he said. Driving licenses of those who repeatedly violate traffic rules will be cancelled. This is the need of the hour, he said. The SSF has been launched as a plan for road safety for covering 5,500 km of state and national highways, said Mann. Patrolling vehicles fitted with specialised equipment to check drunken driving and overspeeding will be deployed on these routes. These vehicles will also have a complete medical kit for providing emergency treatment to any person in need. The force will be duly connected with trauma centres to ensure that people get the necessary medical help in time. Punjab minister Balkar Singh, MP Sushil Rinku, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav and Additional Director General of Police A S Rai were among those present on the occasion. (editor dailyworld.in)