In a bid to provide support to family members of accident road victims and for others sustaining injuries due to road accidents, the state Transport department had in 2015 launched a scheme – Goa State Interim Compensation to Road Accident Victims Scheme.
However, much of the people in the state have been unaware, and as such, to date, only 122 beneficiaries have come forward to avail of the scheme.
To understand, this accident scheme is entitled to all beneficiaries who sustain injuries, suffer permanent injuries, and can be claimed by families of those who succumb to the road accident.
“Many people do not know about this scheme and hence people don’t claim it. We want people to know about the scheme. Irrespective of the insurance cover they have, they are entitled to apply for this scheme,” Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho said.
With accidents become a major cause of death in the state, statistics show that nearly 300 deaths are reported every year due to road accidents in Goa. As such, this scheme will come beneficial to families, to help them with some sort of relief moving ahead.
“There are poor people who lose their loved ones, or cases wherein the sole breadwinner of a family is injured in an accident. This scheme can be beneficial to them,” the minister added.
To avail of this scheme, families need to apply for the scheme within a period of six months of the occurrence of the accident. “There should be public as there are people who are not aware of the scheme. The only important thing is that people should be applied within six months of the accident,” said a department official.
“However, even if someone applies after the six-months period, we will consider the application,” the official said.
As part of the scheme, if a victim dies to a road accident, the family member is entitled to Rs 2 lakh compensation from the government. For those who are seriously injured, a compensation of Rs 1 lakh is provided, and for other injuries, Rs 50,000 is provided by the government.
“For those with permanent injuries, the scheme entitles for Rs 1.5 lakh compensation,” the minister said. The road accident scheme also provides for Rs 10,000 to those who suffer injuries and need 3-7 days of hospitalization.
Stressing that the entire process is very simple to apply, the minister said that once persons/victims apply for the scheme, a screening committee examines the application, and then it is processed.
Now, with the covid-19 pandemic, the department has also begun the online application process. The same can be accessed from the department’s website.
To highlight again, the scheme can be availed irrespective of one’s existing insurance cover, or even if one doesn’t have any.
“We want accident numbers to decrease in Goa. But this is a tourism state and the number of all types of vehicles on the road is very high and accidents do occur,” the minister commented on the rising accidents in the state.
