Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is preparing to launch a new initiative titled ‘Rah-Veer’, aimed at recognising and rewarding Good Samaritans who rush road accident victims to hospitals within the critical golden hour. Under this scheme, the reward for such lifesaving efforts will be significantly increased from the existing ₹2,000 to ₹25,000, reports said.

This move aligns with the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety's directions, which call for stronger measures to curb road accident fatalities. As part of these efforts, the state has already established District Road Safety Committees (DRSC) across all districts to monitor and implement road safety initiatives.

Unlike the general guideline from the Centre, which suggests forming a district-level appraisal committee to identify Good Samaritans, Odisha has decided to create a dedicated sub-committee under each DRSC for selecting ‘Rah-Veers’. This sub-committee will be chaired by the respective district collector, with the superintendent of police (SP), chief district medical officer (CDMO), and regional transport officer (RTO) as members. The RTO will also serve as the member-convener.

Transport department principal secretary Usha Padhee has directed all district collectors to form these appraisal sub-committees immediately. These panels will convene every month to evaluate nominations based on reports received from police stations and hospitals, identifying those who displayed prompt and selfless action during road emergencies.

The names of selected Rah-Veers will be uploaded on the government’s e-DAR (e-Detailed Accident Report) platform, and monetary rewards will be transferred to their bank accounts within seven days of selection.

To ensure the success of the scheme, collectors have also been instructed to launch widespread awareness campaigns, encouraging public participation and reinforcing the importance of timely intervention during road accidents.