Centre ups 'Good Samaritan' reward to Rs 25,000 for assisting road accident victims
Minister Nitin Gadkari stated that previous reward of Rs 5,000 was “insufficient” for those who play a crucial role in saving victims' lives
Guwahati, Jan 15: In a bid to encourage individuals to assist road accident victims during the critical “golden hour”, the Centre has increased the reward under its “Good Samaritan” scheme from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000.
Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, announced the revision during a road safety programme held in Nagpur, recently.
He stated that the previous reward of Rs 5,000 was “insufficient” for those who play a crucial role in saving victims' lives by getting them to hospitals or trauma centres within the first hour.
“For those who help victims during the golden hour, the current Rs 5,000 reward is inadequate. It should be increased to better acknowledge their contributions,” the national media quoted the Minister as saying.
The announcement follows a significant policy change announced on January 7, where the Centre decided to provide cashless treatment to road accident victims starting March 2025.
This initiative will cover medical expenses up to Rs 1.5 lakh for the first seven days post-accident.
Gadkari explained that the new cashless treatment programme will be coordinated by the National Health Authority (NHA), in partnership with police, hospitals, and state health agencies.
The scheme will be facilitated through an integrated IT platform that combines the Ministry’s e-Detailed Accident Report (eDAR) application with NHA’s Transaction Management System.
Launched in October 2021, the "Good Samaritan" scheme was designed to reward individuals who come to the aid of accident victims during the critical first hour.
The scheme aims to recognise and incentivise those who rush to help victims, administer first aid, and transport them to a hospital or trauma care centre for further medical treatment.