Agartala, 16th June 2026: The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the tragic deaths of 34 people in horrific road accidents in Phalodi district of Rajasthan and Rangareddy district of Telangana in November 2025.
In Suo Motu Writ Petition (Civil) No. 9/2025 – In Re: Phalodi Accident vs. National Highways Authority of India & Others, the Court issued a landmark order on April 13, 2026, aimed at preventing road accidents by addressing illegal encroachments, unauthorized parking, and deficiencies in safety measures on national highways and expressways.
Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury emphasized: “The sincere support and active cooperation of all stakeholders—including road regulatory bodies, the Transport Department, the Home Department, the Health Department, and the district administration—are essential for implementing this groundbreaking directive of the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”
To ensure effective implementation in Tripura, Chowdhury presided over a high-level meeting in hybrid mode at the Secretariat’s Video Conferencing Hall. Senior officials from the Home, Transport, Health, Public Works, Rural Development, Urban Development, Revenue, and Panchayat departments attended, along with District Magistrates, Superintendents of Police (including Traffic SPs) from eight districts, and representatives of NHIDCL.
The meeting involved detailed discussions on measures to enhance safety on national highways, with relevant advice and directives issued to departments and district authorities.
Concluding the session, Chowdhury stressed: “Road safety is a collective responsibility. Let us all work together to build a safer Tripura by strictly adhering to the Supreme Court’s directives.”
