SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has constituted District Highway Safety Task Forces across the Union Territory to strengthen road safety measures, identify accident-prone locations and ensure compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court.
The General Administration Department issued Government Order No. 1412-JK(GAD) of 2026 on August 18, in compliance with the Supreme Court order dated April 13, 2026, in the case titled In Re: Phalodi Accident vs NHAI & Ors.
As per the order, the District Magistrate will head the task force as its Chairperson, while the Senior Superintendent of Police, Additional Deputy Commissioner/Sub-Divisional Magistrate, concerned Assistant Regional Transport Officer, representatives of the executing agencies, Traffic Police and the concerned Urban Local Body will be its members. The Chairperson has also been empowered to co-opt any other member considered necessary for effective discharge of the task force’s mandate.
The task forces will monitor implementation of the Supreme Court’s directions, oversee removal of encroachments and unauthorised access points on national highways and other major roads, and review land-use regulation along highways in coordination with concerned agencies.
They will also oversee highway surveillance, enforcement activities, traffic management and other road safety initiatives. Among their key responsibilities will be identifying accident-prone locations and recommending engineering, enforcement and awareness interventions to reduce road accidents.
The task forces have further been mandated to ensure coordination among stakeholder departments and agencies for effective implementation of road safety measures and submit periodic progress reports to the Government through the concerned administrative department.
The order states that the task forces will meet at least once every fortnight to review the status of compliance with road safety measures in their respective districts.
