Speaking at a function on Saturday — the last day of the week-long Road Safety Campaign — state home minister RR Patil said that the Maharashtra government has decided to send a proposal to the federal government recommending amendment to the Motor Vehicle act to permanently cancel the licenses of drunk drivers.

“During last year, 57,000 cases of drunk driving were registered in the state. On Dec. 31 alone, a total of 8,000 cases of drunk driving were registered. These statistics are very alarming and drunk driving is responsible for heavy casualties. Despite police action and awareness programs, people have not kicked the habit of drunk driving. Therefore, it is a must now to discipline drivers by canceling their licenses permanently,” said Patil.

On the subject of people not coming forward to help accident victims fearing police harassment and court summons, Patil said, “Keeping this factor in mind, henceforth any person engaged in extending help and emergency aid to an accident victim would not be tied down in any government procedure. Instead, those helping accident victims would be felicitated by the state governor every year.”

Earlier, speaking at the inauguration of E-Monitoring System (EMS) initiative of the Thane police, Patil said complainants who are scared of stepping into a police station would get relief when the state government puts into affect its online complaint registration program. “In a week’s time, the system would come into effect in Mumbai and would then be implemented in stages all over the state,” Patil said.

Elaborating on the program, Patil said: “After registering complaints, citizens would get responses from the local police about the primary action taken within 24 hours. When the program is implemented, we definitely expect the number of complaints to increase. We would also be criticized. But we would be more than willing to accept criticism. And I appreciate the initiative of night patrol by the Thane police through their EMS program.”