"Rahveers" to get Rs 25,000 reward: Nitin Gadkari announces new road safety schemes
New Delhi, June 8
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday announced that the ministry has launched two new initiatives aimed at curbing road accident fatalities, including a major incentive for citizens who act as first responders.
Speaking to ANI about the schemes, the Minister shared, "We have launched two schemes. A committee chaired by an AIIMS doctor reported that our country sees 180,000 fatalities and 500,000 accidents annually. 30% of these accident victims could be saved if taken to a hospital immediately, a figure amounting to 50,000 lives."
To encourage immediate public intervention, the Ministry is introducing the "Rahveer" initiative. "If people step in to rush these 50,000 individuals to the hospital, their lives can be saved; we call such lifesavers 'Rahveers', and we will award the rescuer Rs 25,000," Gadkari explained.
Furthermore, he also said that the government is moving to remove financial barriers to emergency care.
"Subsequently, regardless of the road type--be it national, district, or municipal--and the hospital where the victim is admitted, we immediately cover the treatment costs for up to seven days, paying the hospital bill up to a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh," the Minister added.
Stressing the urgency of the matter, he remarked, "I believe these schemes address a critical issue, given that our country records the highest number of road accidents globally. If everyone cooperates, we can save countless lives."
He also highlighted private sector participation, noting, "Today, Rapido has taken the initiative and pledged its support."
On a similar note, keeping safety in mind, the Ministry of Railways earlier, on Sunday, launched a nationwide safety drive and ordered a comprehensive inspection of all Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coaches following the detection of a crack in a sleeper coach of the New Delhi-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Special train at Ludhiana on June 6.
In a series of immediate corrective measures, the Railway Ministry has directed all zones to carry out detailed inspections of ICF coaches, with special emphasis on identifying rust, corrosion and structural weaknesses in critical areas. The exercise is expected to be completed within the next week.
According to the ministry, any coach found to be suffering from excessive corrosion or structural deterioration will be withdrawn from service to ensure passenger safety.
Senior officials from the Railway Board headquarters, workshops, and divisions will conduct super-checks. Zonal Railways have also released an informative video on the issue.
Advanced equipment such as endoscopy cameras and ultrasonic thickness gauges will be used for thorough inspection of critical areas. All workshops undertaking periodic overhauling will be audited within the next month.
The Ministry is also simplifying Standard Operating Protocols (SOPs) to enable faster condemnation of coaches with severe corrosion or those requiring excessively high repair costs.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great initiative but typical government - announcing grand schemes without fixing root problems. Our roads are in pathetic condition with uncovered manholes, no streetlights, and zero enforcement of traffic rules. If they really want to save lives, start by filling potholes and installing speed cameras! The Rs 1.5 lakh hospital cover is nice, but why only 7 days? Long-term care for accident victims can cost lakhs.
As someone who witnessed a hit-and-run near my colony last month, I can tell you the real issue is bystander apathy. People just stand and record videos on their phones instead of helping. The Rahveer scheme could change this mindset. But Rs 25,000 might not be enough for someone who genuinely risks their time and safety. Perhaps government should also provide legal protection to rescuers from police questioning.
Appreciate the move but the real game-changer would be a unified emergency number like 911 in US. In India, we have different numbers for ambulance (108), police (100), and fire (101). During panic, nobody remembers these! A single 3-digit helpline that coordinates everything would save more lives than any reward scheme. Also, what about night-time accidents? People may not step out of their homes to help at 2 AM.
Have they thought about implementation? In rural areas, there are no hospitals within 50 km! The 7-day treatment cover is useless if the nearest hospital is far away. Need to combine this with mobile medical units. Also, the reward money should be given directly to the rescuer's bank account within 24 hours, not after months of paperwork like other government schemes. Let's see how smoothly this works on ground.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.