Chandigarh, July 11 -Haryana Chief Minister Mr. Manohar Lal said in a view to make youth aware of traffic rules and regulations, every student pursuing education in various colleges across the State along with getting necessary information about traffic rules, should also be given driving license in their educational institutions only. Besides this, it has also been decided that the girl students after completing their graduation would be given their passport and the entire procedure of making the passports would be completed in the college premises itself.

Mr Manohar Lal was speaking as a Chief Guest at 'Har Sir Helmet' programme organized in Dr. Mangalsen Auditorium to distribute helmets of Stud Company and learning license to the youth of school, colleges and ITI in the age group of 18 to 25 years in Karnal today. On this occasion, he symbolically distributed helmets to five youth. The event was organized by the MP Karnal, Mr. Sanjay Bhatia in collaboration with the international helmet manufacturing company Stud, in which helmets were distributed to more than 100 youth.

The Chief Minister said that today's program is different from the political subject and it would have long term results. He said that similar programs associated with social reforms like ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’, save water for the future and Swachata to protect the environment are successfully going on in Haryana. He said that 'Har Sir Helmet' is a program, which gives the message as to how to safeguard your lives while commuting on roads.

Referring to the statistics of road accidents, he said that a large number of road accidents occur every year in the country and there are estimated to be around 1300 accidents per day, in which most of the people driving without helmets die. He said that as far as Haryana is concerned, about 4500 road accidents occur in a year and on an average 13 people lose their lives every day prematurely due to head injury. Studies show that if a person drives a vehicle wearing a helmet, there is an 80 percent chance of survival in the accident, he added.

Regarding challans without helmets, he said that such challans do not come under any government agenda, nor does it increases revenue. Rather the purpose of challaning is to make the driver aware as well as make his life safe. He said that helmets are essential not only on the road, but also in sports like roller skating and building construction and mining activities. This is a weapon that everyone should use, asserted the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister said that the credit for the 'Har Sir Helmet' program goes to the convener MP, Mr. Sanjay Bhatia and Mr. Siddharth Khurana, Managing Director of Stud Company, with whose efforts learning license and helmets would be distributed to 1000 youth each in all the nine Assembly Constituencies falling in the Karnal Lok Sabha constituency. This, he said, has started from Karnal today.

On this occasion, MP Mr Sanjay Bhatia welcomed Chief Minister and other distinguished guests and said that this program has been organized for the safety of the youth so that the youth drive their two-wheeler by wearing a helmet and make it their habit.