Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has launched a new cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims. The initiative taken by the Central government will help injured persons to cover medical expenses for up to seven days or a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh under this scheme.
The scheme will be applicable from April 2025. The government has already run a pilot programme for this scheme in Assam, Punjab, Haryana, and Puducherry. The National Health Authority (NHA) will likely appoint an agency for the programme in coordination with police, hospitals, State Health Agency, etc.
The programme will be available through the IT platform, combining the functionalities of the e-Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) application of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Transaction Management System of NHA.
How to Claim the Scheme and How Will It Work?
Under the cashless treatment, victims of the accident can access cashless treatment within 24 hours of informing the local police station. In death of hit-and-run cases, the victim’s family will receive Rs 2 lakh as compensation. The Union Minister said that claims will be swiftly approved by the authorities.
Also Read | Road Accident Deaths in 2024: 30,000 Lives Lost Due to Not Wearing Helmets, Says Nitin Gadkari.
Mentioning that the government's high priority is road safety. Gadkari said, "In 2024, we recorded 1.8 lakh deaths due to road accidents, with 30,000 lives lost because of not wearing helmets."
Road Safety for Truck and Bus Drivers
The government will set up 1,250 Driver Training Institutes (DTIs) with an investment of Rs 4,500 crore. Pan-India setup of Driver Training Institutes (DTI) will provide incentives for setting up DTIs and additional incentives for the integrated infrastructure of ATSs and DTIs.
Gadkari said deliberations were done for the introduction of an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) for trucks and strict enforcement of retro-reflective tape for transport vehicle safety. Implementation of monitoring centres & vehicle location tracking devices (VLTD) for the safety of women and children were also discussed.