Public Awareness Will Reduce Road Accidents: Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai

Raipur, January 2026 : Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai said that increasing public awareness is key to reducing road accidents and that alertness towards traffic rules can help save lives. He was speaking at the State-Level Road Safety Honour Ceremony organised under National Road Safety Month–2026 at the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Auditorium in the state capital, Raipur.

To convey a strong message on road safety, the Chief Minister himself wore a helmet and rode a scooty along with a group of two-wheeler riders. During the programme, he also laid the foundation stone of a modern Licensing Centre office building at Pandri in Raipur and flagged off 12 new buses on 12 routes under the Chief Minister Rural Bus Scheme across the state.

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Shri Sai described human life as priceless and expressed concern over the rising number of road accidents. He appealed to citizens to strictly follow traffic rules to help reduce road mishaps. On this occasion, pedestrians, “Police Mitan” volunteers, doctors, traffic police personnel and others actively working for road safety were honoured for their contributions.

The Chief Minister said that road accidents leave mothers childless, separate siblings forever and make many children orphaned. He informed that, as an innovative initiative, Raipur Police have created 4,500 “Police Mitan” volunteers, who will play a crucial role in promoting road safety in villages, especially where police response time is often longer. Helmets and first-aid kits have also been distributed to these volunteers.

Emphasising safety measures, Shri Sai said helmets are essential as head injuries are the leading cause of death in road accidents. He urged mandatory helmet use for two-wheeler riders and seat belts for four-wheeler occupants. He also advised drivers not to use mobile phones while driving and to strictly obey traffic signals.

Transport Minister Shri Kedar Kashyap said the programme should become a people’s movement for road safety rather than a mere formality. He informed that a reward of ₹25,000 has been provisioned for passersby who provide immediate assistance to accident victims, and free treatment up to ₹1.5 lakh is being provided by the government for road accident victims.

MP Shri Brijmohan Agrawal highlighted that enforcing helmet usage is essential to prevent families from being shattered by accidents, especially as Chhattisgarh is developing rapidly and road accidents are increasing.

During the programme, Road Safety Mitan volunteers were awarded amounts of ₹25,000 and ₹5,000, and medical officers, traffic personnel, drivers, Bharat Scouts and Guides members, UNICEF representatives, NHAI officials, as well as NSS and NCC cadets were honoured for outstanding work in road safety.

The Chief Minister also visited the exhibition organised under National Road Safety Month–2026 and appreciated paintings and science models on road safety created by school and college students.

MLAs Shri Sunil Soni and Shri Purandar Mishra, Raipur District Panchayat President Shri Naveen Agrawal, Transport Secretary Shri S. Prakash, Additional Transport Commissioner Shri D. Ravishankar, along with a large number of Scouts, Guides, NCC cadets and distinguished citizens, were present on the occasion.