Joint enforcement drive across Cachar results in over Rs 11.11 Lakh in penalties;

way2barak, July 15: A coordinated enforcement drive carried out by the District Task Force across different parts of Cachar has led to the detection of a large number of traffic and transport violations, with penalties amounting to Rs 11,11,500 during inspections conducted between July 4 and July 12.

The district-wide operation was undertaken following the directions of the District Magistrate, Cachar, under a joint enforcement mechanism involving the District Administration, Transport Department, Police, Excise Department and Forest Department. Teams carried out intensive checking at strategic locations including Lailpur, Kalain, Rongpur, Borkhola and Jirighat focusing on road safety, compliance with transport regulations and prevention of illegal transportation. During the drive, nearly 2,350 vehicles were checked across major entry points and important road corridors of the district.

It may be mentioned that the enforcement drive was initiated following a joint review meeting held on July 2 at the New Conference Hall of the Office of the District Commissioner, Cachar, jointly chaired by Minister for Food, Public Distribution, Consumer Affairs and Cooperation & Housing and Urban Affairs, Kaushik Rai, and Cachar Guardian Minister Krishnendu Paul. The meeting reviewed issues relating to road safety, overloading of commercial vehicles, illegal transportation, traffic management and effective enforcement of transport regulations across the district. Senior officers of the District Administration, Transport Department, Police, Excise Department, Forest Department and other line departments attended the meeting.

During the review, both the Ministers directed the Cachar District Administration to constitute dedicated Joint Task Forces for conducting regular enforcement drives at the major entry points of the district to check overloaded commercial vehicles, permit violations, illegal transportation and other traffic-related offences. Stressing the need for coordinated inter-departmental action, they instructed all enforcement agencies to work in close coordination to ensure strict implementation of the Motor Vehicles Act, improve road discipline and strengthen public safety. The enforcement operations carried out between July 4 and July 12 were undertaken in pursuance of these directions.

According to the District Transport Office, 382 challans were issued in Cachar between July 1 and July 12, resulting in a total penalty of Rs 11,11,500. The enforcement drive covered a wide range of violations under the Motor Vehicles Act, including driving without a valid driving licence, disobedience of traffic signals and lawful orders of authorities, riding without helmets, carrying more than two persons on two-wheelers, driving without valid insurance, operation of vehicles without fitness certificates or valid permits, failure to produce driving licences, tax receipts and Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates, overloading of goods vehicles, violation of pollution norms, absence of mandatory reflectors and unauthorised structural modifications such as bull bars, crash guards, aftermarket sunroofs and vehicle length, width or height extensions.

Field officials said the coordinated enforcement drive has significantly improved compliance with road safety regulations, particularly among commercial vehicle operators and transporters using major corridors across the district. Regular checking at important entry and transit points has also encouraged motorists to carry mandatory documents and adhere to prescribed safety norms.

Officials associated with the drive stated that similar joint enforcement operations will continue across Cachar in the coming weeks. They appealed to motorists, transport operators and commercial vehicle owners to comply with the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, maintain valid documents, avoid overloading and strictly follow traffic regulations to ensure safer roads for all.

This is stated in a press release issued by the Regional Office of Information & Public Relations, Barak Valley Zone, Silchar, Assam.