NEW DELHI, March 13 - Union Government has constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) from eight States including Mizoram Transport Minister John Rotluangliana, to strategise on how to reduce road accidents in India, which accounts for the highest number of road deaths globally.
Rajasthan�s Transport and Public Works Department Minister Yoonus Khan will head the eight-member group which will frame a National Road Safety Code with the aim to reduce fatalities and road accidents by 50 per cent in the next five years.
India accounts for as high as five lakh road accidents per annum in which 1.5 lakh people die while another three lakh are crippled for life.
�The decision to constitute the GoM was taken in view of a very high number of road accidents. The group, after studying different aspects, will come up with their suggestions, which we would implement to reduce such fatalities,� Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said.
The committee shall submit its first report by May 15, he said.
Gadkari said road accidents cause an annual loss of around Rs 60,000 crore, or three per cent of the GDP, and the initiatives by the government include correcting faulty road designs. � PTI
