The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognisance of allegations that unsafe AC sleeper buses are being used under the Punjab government’s Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra Scheme.
Issuing a notice to the Punjab chief secretary, an NHRC bench, presided over by member Priyank Kanoongo, has directed an inspection of all such buses and sought a report within seven days.
The notice, issued under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, has also been marked to secretary, Union ministry of road transport and highways.
Criticising the NHRC action, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal alleged that it was selectively targeting Punjab’s pilgrimage vehicles while transport fleets in other states remained unexamined.
In response, Kanoongo highlighted that the NHRC’s crackdown was not selective but nationwide, noting that over 1,000 unsafe buses had been taken off the roads or restructured across various states over the past year.
Giving details, NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo said the commission received a complaint alleging that the buses used under the Punjab government’s pilgrimage scheme did not meet required safety standards. Concerns included unauthorised structural modifications, partitions between the driver’s cabin and passenger compartment, obstruction of emergency exits and windows, and deficiencies in essential fire detection, suppression and emergency evacuation arrangements, he said.
“The serious thing here is that the state government itself has allegedly hired buses that don’t meet safety standards. This is especially risky when they’re transporting elderly passengers. If there’s an emergency or something goes wrong, these passengers won’t be able to get themselves out,” Kanoongo added.
{{/usCountry}}“The serious thing here is that the state government itself has allegedly hired buses that don’t meet safety standards. This is especially risky when they’re transporting elderly passengers. If there’s an emergency or something goes wrong, these passengers won’t be able to get themselves out,” Kanoongo added.
{{/usCountry}}The pilgrimage scheme operates on five routes. Two of these are in Punjab—one to Amritsar and another to Anandpur Sahib-Naina Devi. The other three include Salasar and Khatu Shyam Ji in Rajasthan, Haridwar and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, and Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh.