BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government is all set to roll out the ‘Rah-Veer’ scheme increasing the reward amount for Good Samaritans, who rush road accident victims to hospitals within the crucial golden hour and play a vital role in saving lives, from the present Rs 2,000 to Rs 25,000.
The state has already constituted district road safety committees (DRSC) in every district following directives from the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety to review and initiate measures to reduce road accidents.
Although the ministry had asked the states to constitute a district-level appraisal committee for the selection of Good Samaritans, the Odisha government has decided to form a sub-committee under each DRSC for selection of Rah-Veers.
Principal secretary of the Transport department Usha Padhee has instructed district collectors to form an appraisal sub-committee at the earliest. The sub-committee will be headed by the district collector, with the SP and CDMO as members, and the RTO as the member-convener.
The sub-committee will meet monthly to assess and approve proposals based on communications received from police stations or hospitals regarding acts of heroism.
The names and details of the selected Rah-Veers will then be uploaded on the e-DAR platform, and awards disbursed directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts within seven days. Collectors have been asked to intensify awareness campaigns about the scheme.