PATNA | Jun 03, 2015: Pointing out that majority of roads in Bihar are turning decrepit due to overloading of sands and stones on trucks, state's mines and geology department has asked all divisional commissioners to revive old system of weekly review with DMs and SPs to put a brake on the unabated practice.
In a letter sent to all divisional commissioners, DMs and SPs recently, mines and geology department's principal secretary-cum-mines commissioner Subhash Sharma has reminded the field officers of a previous joint order issued by the state chief secretary and director general of police (DGP) in September 2014, and asked them to act fast as per the instructions to stop overloading in their respective areas.
As per the joint order, the DMs and SPs are 'responsible authority' to check overloading on trucks under their respective jurisdictions. Through the same order, the state government had asked divisional commissioners to hold weekly review through videoconferencing with DMs and SPs to ensure effective check on overloading.
That apart, the district level officers were asked to send a combined report on action taken against overloading on daily basis to the state police headquarters and mines and geology department. The combined report, as per the order, were to be sent with joint signatures of DM, SP, district transport officer and district mines development officer concerned.
"Besides the joint order, the then principal secretary of mines and geology department, through an order dated September 24, 2012, had issued certain instructions to check illegal mining and the field officers had to take effective action as per the instructions. After the department's instructions and the joint order, some districts launched effective drive against illegal mining and overloading, but in due course they turned sluggish. As a result, the state government had to face loss of revenue due to illegal mining. Moreover, the condition of roads is worsening due to overloading on trucks," Sharma said in his letter to field officers.
Sending a copy of the joint order, Sharma has also asked all DMs and SPs to implement whatever instructions have been issued by the chief secretary and the DGP and take effective steps to stop overloading on trucks.
(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)