Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated the state-level celebrations of National Road Safety Month on Mahatma Gandhi Marg with the slogan “Come Home Safe” and announced the creation of 2,000 new traffic police posts to enhance road safety enforcement in Odisha. He also stated that 500 of these positions will be filled this year to address immediate needs.
The Chief Minister called for making road safety a mass public campaign, urging citizens to follow traffic rules to ensure their own safety and the safety of others.
To raise awareness, he flagged off the ‘Sadaka Surakshya Rath’ (Road Safety Chariot), which will tour all districts throughout January, screening short films and promoting road safety initiatives. He also joined a padyatra from Master Canteen Chowk to Shri Ram Mandir, inspiring enthusiasm among students, drivers, and the general public.
Majhi highlighted that over 47,000 lives have been lost in road accidents in Odisha in the last decade, calling it a matter of grave concern. He emphasized the need for collective efforts to reduce fatalities and urged individuals, institutions, and organizations to join the road safety campaign.
During the event, the Chief Minister launched the ‘Odisha Yatri App’ to provide affordable and convenient travel options for citizens, enabling them to book autos and taxis with ease. He also inaugurated a temporary free eye testing center near the Gurudwara to assist drivers and the public. At a ceremony near Shri Ram Mandir, he felicitated Good Samaritans who saved the lives of road accident victims.
The program witnessed the participation of several dignitaries, including MLAs Siddhant Mohapatra, Akash Das Nayak, and Babu Singh; Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das; Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey; Sand Artist Sudarshan Patnaik; Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja; Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania; Commerce and Transport Principal Secretary Usha Padhee; Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur; OSRTC CMD Diptesh Patnaik; and CRUT MD N. Tirumala Naik.
Majhi concluded by emphasizing that the message of road safety must reach every city, village, and household in Odisha. He appealed to all sections of society to join hands in this mission to ensure a safer and more responsible state.
