Bhubaneswar: To put a check on the rising road accidents reportedly due to drunken driving in the state, the Odisha Government has decided to act further strictly against persons to be found driving under the influence of alcohol.

The state government has decided to take stringent legal action against drunken drivers, besides arresting them, as punishment. All RTOs has been directed to file prosecution report instead of compounding in case of drunken driving.

In a letter to Additional Chief Secretary of Home Department Asit Kumar Tripathy, Transport Department Principal Secretary G Srinivas said, “Powers have already been conferred on police under Section-202 and 203 of the MV Act to arrest persons detected or suspected of driving in public areas under influence of alcohol. But in practice, police personnel engaged in enforcement ativities are only compounding the drunken driver and it does not prevent them from committing such offences again.”

“If prosecution reports are filed against them in appropriate court, they may be punished as per stringent provision in law. This will act as a deterent for them,” the letter added.

Srinivas approached the Additional Chief Secretary to issue necessary directions in this regard to field functionaries under his control.