Bihar to give road accident victims free treatment up to ₹1.5L: Dy CM

Bihar launches free medical care up to ₹1.5 lakh for road accident victims at trauma centres to reduce fatalities and improve road safety.

The state transport department has launched free medical care worth up to ₹1.5 lakh for victims of road accidents at state-run emergency trauma centres, said deputy chief minister-cum-transport minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary here on Sunday.

Bihar to give road accident victims free treatment up to ₹1.5L: Dy CM

The scheme, aimed at curbing fatalities in road accidents and easing the pain of crash survivors, has been flagged off by the deputy CM during the review of the department’s activities. The medical help will be doled out to the accident survivors under the ‘Jaan hai to jahaan hai’ (life comes first) scheme.

Transport secretary Raj Kumar briefed the minister on the department’s ongoing schemes and activities. Chaudhary responded with a string of practical orders aimed at road safety, better driving standards and improved inland waterways.

A senior officer of the department said that the free-treatment scheme is designed to help victims during the critical ‘golden hour’ right after a crash, when timely care can mean the difference between life and death. “Once fully rolled out, any person injured in a road accident will be able to walk into an emergency trauma centre and receive treatment worth up to ₹1.5 lakh at no cost,” the officer said.

The minister said the government is modernising traffic control in Patna and other major towns. An integrated traffic management system (ITMS) will be rolled out on a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The system is expected to ease chronic congestion, catch rule-breakers through cameras and send instant alerts for accidents or breakdowns.

Chaudhary also told officers to start classifying every road crash as either ‘minor’ or ‘major’. Officials will now dig into the root causes and study the ratio of accidents to fatalities so they can prepare targeted safety plans for black spots across the state.

On the driver training front, a new district-wise digital tracking module will keep tabs on all registered and trained drivers, especially those handling heavy motor vehicles (HMVs). Chaudhary said drivers should come forward on their own for refresher courses. Those who ignore three reminders will face strict action. To encourage participation, the department will start giving ₹100 for refreshments and an extra ₹200 incentive to every trainee from May 1 this year.

The minister also turned his attention to Bihar’s rivers, which have long been under-used for transport. He ordered a special drive to remove silt, deepen channels and make inland waterways more reliable and cheaper for passengers and goods. Bihar sits on a vast network of rivers, and improving them could take pressure off crowded roads.

In a separate but related step, permanent driving-test facilities will now operate in every district throughout the year. Applicants can book slots at their convenience instead of waiting for occasional camps.

Senior officials present at the meeting included state transport commissioner Arif Ahsan, additional secretaries Praveen Kumar and Krityanand Ranjan and deputy secretary Aruna Kumari.

The announcements come as Bihar continues to grapple with a high number of road accidents. Transport officials hope the combination of free emergency care, smarter traffic enforcement, stricter driver standards and better use of rivers will start showing results on the ground in the coming months.