Delhi to adopt ‘Rah-Veer’ scheme, ₹25,000 reward for helping road accident victims, says Gupta

The primary objective of the scheme is to motivate members of the public to ensure that seriously injured road accident victims receive medical attention within the ‘golden hour’ or the first hour after an accident

Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Monday announced that the Delhi government will implement the Centre’s ‘Rah-Veer’ scheme in the national capital, under which citizens who assist seriously injured road accident victims will be awarded a cash prize of ₹25,000 each.

These rules provide legal protection to citizens who voluntarily assist seriously injured, distressed or vulnerable persons. The Centre has now supplemented this humanitarian initiative with a financial reward to further encourage public participation. (Representational image)

Emphasising that the financial incentive was introduced to encourage humanitarian action, she said it enables ordinary citizens to help seriously injured accident victims without fear and demonstrate compassion.

“The primary objective of the scheme is to motivate members of the public to ensure that seriously injured road accident victims receive medical attention within the ‘golden hour’ or the first hour after an accident,” she said.

According to the chief minister, the Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) has issued detailed guidelines to states and Union territories for effective implementation. Following these guidelines, the Delhi government has decided to adopt the scheme.

She added that the initiative has been framed in accordance with the Good Samaritan Rules notified under Section 134A of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019.

These rules provide legal protection to citizens who voluntarily assist seriously injured, distressed or vulnerable persons. The Centre has now supplemented this humanitarian initiative with a financial reward to further encourage public participation.

Any individual who provides immediate assistance to a seriously injured road accident victim and ensures their transport to a hospital or trauma centre within the golden hour will be eligible for the reward, an official said.

The Rah-Veer will receive ₹25,000, he said. If a person saves one or more seriously injured victims in the same accident, the maximum reward payable will remain ₹25,000.

Additionally, 10 of the most outstanding Rah-Veers selected annually will receive a special national award of ₹1 lakh each, along with a certificate of appreciation.

For effective implementation, a district-level evaluation committee will be constituted, comprising the district magistrate, a senior police officer, the chief medical officer and the regional transport officer.

Gupta said the reward amount will be transferred directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts through an online process. A separate bank account will be maintained for this purpose, and the entire procedure will be recorded on a digital platform. The ministry will also provide an initial grant to the states.

Observing that people often hesitate to help due to fear of legal complications or police procedures, Gupta said the scheme would remove such apprehensions and encourage citizens to step forward.

The chief minister said t with financial incentives and legal protection in place, more people will be encouraged to promptly transport seriously injured road accident victims to hospitals.