New Delhi: Bothered with the poor implementation of the scheme providing compensation to victims of hit-and-run motor accidents, the Supreme Court of India is now considering the online transfer of compensation to the account of the persons involved in hit-and-run cases and cashless treatment to the victims of the road accidents.
A bench of Justice AS Oka and Justice AG Masih has fixed August 27 as the date for hearing a case in which they will consider issuing directions on the development of a portal to be maintained by every state but also by the central government so that the General Insurance Corporation of India is able to make online transfer to the account of the persons held entitled to the compensation and cashless treatment to the victims of the road accidents.
Apex court recently expressed it dissatisfaction with working of scheme
The Supreme Court had recently expressed it dissatisfaction with the working of the scheme saying, “If we compare the number of hit and run road accidents reported and the number of cases registered for seeking compensation, what stares at the face is that negligible number of victims have taken advantage of the said scheme. One reason may be that the victims were not made aware of the existence of the Scheme.”
What are the numbers of road accidents in India in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022?
As per reports titled “Road Accidents in India”, published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of the Government of India annually, the figures of hit and run accidents in 2016 were 55,942, in 2017 it was 65,186, in 2018 it increased to 69, 822. During the During COVID 19 period, the number of accidents decreased between 2019 and 2021, but remained above 50,000 deaths every year. The number again increased in 2022, when the number of hit and run accidents were 67,387.
But when compared to the compensation given under the scheme, in the last five years, there were 660 deaths in hit and run cases, and there were 113 injury cases for which compensation of 184.60 Lakhs was disbursed.
What did the apex court record earlier this year?
The court had earlier this year recorded, “If we compare the number of hit and run road accidents reported and the number of cases registered for seeking compensation, what stares at the face is that negligible number of victims have taken advantage of the said scheme.”
And went on to say that the dismal functioning of the scheme was because there was not adequate publicity of the scheme and the police too were not informing the victims’ family members of the existence of the compensation scheme.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in 2022 notified a new scheme for compensation of victims of Hit and Run motor accidents increasing compensation from Rs 12,500 to Rs 50,000 for people with grievous hurt and from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2,00,000 in death cases.
