Jammu, June 08: Secretary to Government, Transport Department, J&K, Ms. Anvy Lavasa, IAS, today chaired a high-level review meeting at the Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR), Kot Bhalwal, Jammu, to assess the progress of ongoing developmental works, review the functioning of the institute, and deliberate upon measures for its further strengthening as a premier driver training and road safety institution in the Union Territory.
The meeting was attended by Sh. Vishesh Paul Mahajan, JKAS, Transport Commissioner, J&K; Superintending Engineer, PWD (R&B) Circle North Jammu; Joint Director (Planning & Statistics), Transport Department; Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Jammu; Executive Engineer, PWD (R&B) Division Nagrota; Executive Engineer, PWD (Electric) Division Jammu; Executive Engineer, Mechanical Division Jammu; representatives of Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL); and other concerned officers.
At the outset, the Secretary Transport was apprised of the present status of the Institute, including progress on infrastructure development, training facilities, testing infrastructure, and other ongoing works being executed by various departments and agencies.
A detailed review was undertaken regarding the physical and financial progress of the works and the overall operational readiness of the institute.
During the deliberations, Ms. Anvy Lavasa underscored the pivotal role of IDTR in enhancing driver competency, promoting responsible road user behaviour, and strengthening road safety standards across Jammu and Kashmir.
She emphasized the need to adopt modern technologies and best practices in driver training and testing to ensure that aspiring drivers are equipped with the requisite knowledge, skills, and road safety awareness.
The Secretary reviewed the status of civil, electrical, mechanical and allied infrastructure works being executed at the institute and held detailed discussions on various issues requiring inter-departmental coordination.
She stressed the importance of maintaining high standards of quality while ensuring timely completion of all developmental works.
While reviewing the progress of the project, the Secretary Transport laid special emphasis on adherence to timelines and expressed concern over delays in completion of certain components of the institute.
She categorically directed all stakeholder departments, executing agencies and concerned officers to ensure that all pending issues and developmental works are completed by or before 30th June, 2026, at any cost.
She emphasized that no further delay would be acceptable and instructed the concerned agencies to closely monitor the progress of works on a day-to- day basis so as to achieve the prescribed deadline.
She further directed the executing agencies to work in close coordination and proactively resolve all bottlenecks hindering the progress of works. Stressing the importance of accountability, she called upon all stakeholders to adopt a mission-mode approach for timely completion of the project.
Speaking during the meeting, Transport Commissioner, J&K, Sh. Vishesh Paul Mahajan, JKAS, highlighted various initiatives being undertaken by the Motor Vehicles Department to improve driver training standards, promote road safety awareness and strengthen the licensing and testing ecosystem across the Union Territory.
He informed the Chair regarding the measures being taken to enhance the quality of driver education and build a culture of safe and responsible driving. The representatives of the executing agencies and MSIL briefed the meeting regarding the progress achieved so far and presented timelines for completion of the remaining works.
They assured the Chair that all necessary efforts would be made to ensure completion of the pending works within the stipulated timeframe.
Reiterating the Government's commitment towards road safety and capacity building in the transport sector, Ms. Anvy Lavasa emphasized that a fully functional and state-of- the-art IDTR would significantly contribute towards producing skilled drivers, reducing road accidents, and strengthening road safety management across Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting concluded with a comprehensive review of action points and a commitment from all stakeholders to ensure timely completion of the remaining works and operationalization of the institute in accordance with the directions issued by the Chair.
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