Odisha govt to arrange for free tea for heavy vehicle drivers to minimise accidents
Bhubaneswar, Dec 21: In a bid to minimise road accidents involving trucks on highways, the Odisha government has decided to make arrangements for offering free tea to drivers of heavy vehicles travelling at night, Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu said on Thursday.
Most of the accidents take place on national highways in the early hours as drivers of trucks and other heavy vehicles fall asleep. Therefore, the state government has decided to provide them with tea free of cost for their refreshment, Sahu told reporters here.
The regional transport officers (RTOs) of all districts have been asked to identify roadside hotels and dhabas on highways, where the drivers will be offered free tea to prevent drowsiness at night, she said, adding that they can also take rest there.
Apart from this initiative, the state government has been setting up truck terminals and wayside amenity centres along major roads of Odisha, where the drivers can take rest and have refreshments, she said.
The minister said the truck terminals have been established in some districts while the collectors of the remaining districts have been asked to identify suitable land to set up such terminals.
Recently, the State Transport Authority (STA) has directed the RTOs to undertake stringent enforcement on drunken driving, juvenile offence, helmetless driving, driving at excess speed, using mobile while driving, wrong-side driving and overloading in goods carriage for the entire month of December in view of the high rate of fatalities due to fog and other climatic conditions.
As per a statement issued by the transport minister in the assembly during the last session, a total of 54,790 accidents were reported in the state in the last five years (2018 to 2022) in which 25,934 people died and 51,873 were injured.
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KSDL invites innovative technology to check sandalwood theft
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has invited farmers, scientists and organisations to come up with innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft in the state.
The state-owned Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), which manufactures Mysuru Sandal Soap has also planned sandalwood cultivation, state Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil said on Thursday.
"In a bid to promote sandalwood cultivation, the KSDL has planned a major initiative. As part of it, farmers, scientists, and organisations possessing information on advanced equipment or innovative technologies to prevent sandalwood theft have been invited to approach KSDL and share the details," Patil said in a statement.
Those interested in this initiative will be given an opportunity to demonstrate such technologies before the organisation, the minister said, adding if the proposed solutions are found suitable and effective, steps will be taken for consideration and implementation.
Patil stated that the cost involved in deploying technologies aimed at preventing sandalwood theft would be borne by KSDL.
Further, with a view to encouraging sandalwood cultivation, four farmers who have supplied the highest quantity of sandalwood to KSDL will be honoured with awards on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar on June 4, he said.
On the same occasion, police personnel and forest officials who have made notable progress in apprehending sandalwood thieves and registering cases, along with members of the public who have provided credible information leading to such action, will also be recognised and rewarded, the minister added.
Patil observed that farmers cultivating sandalwood trees on their lands have been facing increasing threats due to theft in recent years. Illegal felling and theft of sandalwood trees have continued for decades.
Although stringent laws are in place to curb such activities, the number of cases resulting in convictions remains very low, he noted.
"In this context, it becomes the responsibility of the organisation to extend both legal and technical support to farmers and encourage them to take up sandalwood cultivation on a larger scale," he said.
According to him, over the past three years, KSDL has procured 174.5 metric tonne of sandalwood directly from farmers across the state and transferred Rs 6.08 crore to their respective accounts.
