The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued conditional summons to the Chief Secretary of Punjab over alleged serious safety violations in buses operating under the Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojana.
The summons were issued a day after a fatal road accident involving two buses operating under the state government scheme, in which five people lost their lives and around 30 were injured in Tarn Taran yesterday evening.
The Commission noted with grave concern that, despite having already taken cognisance of recurring bus safety violations and issuing specific directions to the competent authorities, it had not received any Action Taken Reports or details of effective corrective measures.
The Commission observed that ensuring the safety of passengers, particularly senior citizens and other vulnerable persons travelling under a government-sponsored welfare scheme, is the direct responsibility of the State and the competent regulatory authorities.
It said such schemes cannot be implemented at the cost of human life and that compliance with mandatory vehicle safety standards cannot be reduced to a mere procedural formality.
The NHRC has directed the Chief Secretary of the Punjab Government to appear before the Commission, either personally or through a duly authorised representative, on December 7, along with Action Taken Reports and other required details.