Guwahati, Jan 1 (PTI) Assam did not witness any road mishap on New Year's Eve following a special drive to enforce safety regulations to prevent accidents on the last day of 2021, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday.

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Sarma, who led the initiative for an ‘accident-free New Year's Eve', was himself out on the streets of Guwahati on Friday night to boost the morale of police and transport department personnel who were on duty to curb traffic violations.

“There were no road accidents in the state last night as per reports available till Saturday afternoon.

“There was no curfew last night and there were plenty of cars on the roads. But there were no cases of rash or drunk driving,” he said.

During his visit to several locations in the city, the chief minister came across a sizeable number of senior citizens driving with their families post-midnight and enjoying themselves, Sarma said.

“In the absence of inebriated drivers, people were coming out with their families and having a good time,” he added.

The state has already witnessed more than 6,800 accidents, in which over 2,800 people have lost their lives in 2021.

As Assam welcomed the New Year last year, the state lost 29 lives in 69 accidents between December 31 and January 1, according to the state transport department data.

Sarma also said the law enforcers of the state are now engaged in ‘active policing'.

The chief minister said twenty-eight people were killed and 62 injured as a result of police action in the past year, in an apparent reference to shooting at suspects when they allegedly attempted to escape from custody or while trying to evade arrest.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)