Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday directed the constitution of district-level Highway Safety Task Forces in all districts through which national highways pass, in a bid to strengthen road safety and curb accidents.
The directive by the Commerce & Transport Department comes in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order dated April 13, 2026, in suo motu proceedings (W.P.(C) No. 9/2025), which flagged serious concerns over highway safety following fatal road accidents in Rajasthan and Telangana on November 10, 2025.
According to the order issued by Commerce & Transport Department Principal Secretary N.B.S. Rajput, each district administration has been instructed to immediately set up dedicated Highway Safety Task Forces to ensure coordinated action among eight key departments.
The Task Force will be headed by the District Collector and District Magistrate as Chairperson, while the Superintendent of Police/Deputy Commissioner of Police will serve as Co-Chairperson. The Additional District Magistrate/Sub-Collector will function as the Nodal Officer, and the Regional Transport Officer/ARTO will act as Member-Convener.
Officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the State Works Department, municipal bodies, and the revenue administration will also be members.
The Task Forces have been mandated to identify and remove unauthorised structures along highway corridors, including roadside eateries, shops, garages, and vending zones falling within the right of way (ROW) and safety zones. They will also take steps to curb illegal roadside parking, especially of heavy vehicles, and address accident-prone stretches commonly referred to as black spots.
In addition, the panels will assess requirements for infrastructure such as truck lay-bys, bus bays, and pedestrian safety facilities along highways.
The government has also directed that no new trade licences or approvals be granted within highway safety zones without clearance from the concerned road-owning agencies such as the NHAI or state departments.
District administrations have been asked to notify the task forces immediately and submit compliance reports within three days. The panels will hold fortnightly meetings and send monthly Action Taken Reports (ATRs) to the Transport Commissioner.
The initiative aims to create a permanent coordination mechanism at the district level to improve enforcement on national highways and reduce preventable road accidents.
