File Photo: PM Narendra Modi.
Concerned over the high rate of casualties in accidents, the government will soon bring a Road Transport and Safety Bill and launch cashless treatment for mishap victims, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today in his monthly radio programme while avoiding any mention of politics or the logjam in Parliament.
In his 15-minute programme, he also hailed the armed forces in the context of Kargil Vijay Divas, paid tributes to the farming community and praised scientists, besides saying that a team of officials will pay a week-long visit to the Northeastern states to understand the problems of the region and address them.
He also invited suggestions from the public which could form part of his this year's Independence Day speech.
While talking about various social issues, he avoided politics at a time when Parliament is unable to function because of a deadlock with opposition demanding resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over various controversies.
Talking about road accidents, he mentioned the case of a scooter rider lying bleeding on a road in Delhi with nobody helping him.
"Several people have been writing to me that I should speak on road safety to create awareness about it. When we see the figures, we notice that in India, an accident takes place every minute and a death due to these takes place every four minutes. Among the victims, one-third are in the age group of 15-25 years," the Prime Minister noted.
Keeping this in mind, the government will soon bring a Road Transport and Safety Bill, he said.
The government is also planning other important measures like putting in place a National Road Safety Policy and Road Safety Action Plan, he said.
A project under which cashless treatment will be given to accident victims, wherein the victim does not have to worry for the first 50 hours as to who pays the money for treatment, will also be launched soon, he said.
The project will be launched in Gurgaon, Jaipur and Vadodara and then to Mumbai, Ranchi, Rungaon and Maurya national highways.