Retired judge wants govt action against strays

PANAJI: In view of the menace posed by stray cattle to commuters, Justice (retired) Nelson Britto urged the district legal service authority of North Goa to create a documentation of photographic evidence of these animals loitering or sitting on roads in the state and then file a contempt petition against the village panchayat and police officer under whose jurisdiction the particular road falls.

Britto, who was speaking at a function organised by the authority, said walking on highways in foreign countries was an offence, but in Goa, highways were meant for people to walk on, cattle to rest on and, if there was a little space left, for vehicles to move.

“Stray cattle are a matter of concern as they are also a cause of many accidents, especially at night. In Goa, every village and municipal council has a cattle pound. These cattle have to be put in those pounds,” he said.

The high court of Bombay at Goa has issued clear directions, including for the police station in-charge, to ensure that cattle are not found loitering on highways, Britto said.

He also spoke about drunk driving cases. Police should take stricter action against such cases and should monitor party zones on Saturday, Britto said, adding that traffic rules should be followed by all.

Recounting the state’s accident statistics, the retired judge said, “Our accident percentage is 217.7 for a population of one lakh.” In the first quarter of this year there were 83 road deaths, and, in June, there were 306 accidents, including 14 fatalities, Britto said. “These are just statistics for many of us until someone near and dear to us meets with an accident,” he said.

Stating that there are three main causes for road accidents — overspeeding, drunk driving and distracted driving — Britto said some people think talking on cellphones while driving accounts for distracted driving.

“If a person drives and talks on the mobile phone, in my opinion, it is a clear case of negligence. Book them under Section 279 and see the results.”

Principal district and sessions judge Irshad Aga, inspector general of police Jaspal Singh and secretary of the district legal service authority, North Goa, Shabnam Shaikh were present at the conference.