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Plane Crashes, Road Mishaps, Bridge Collapses: India Needs National Plan To Aid Accident Victims' Kin
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The plan should offer financial support proportional to the family's annual income, ideally around 10 times that amount, ranging from Rs 10-50 lakh
A recent series of accidents has highlighted the challenges faced by the families of victims and the importance of providing prompt financial support to help them recover. Although the Tata group announced Rs 1.25 crore for each family affected by the Ahmedabad plane crash, other victims receive considerably less, such as Rs 5 lakh for families of the Uttarakhand helicopter crash victims and the Pune bridge disaster victims. The fate of road accident victims' families often depends on whether the accident makes national news, which may result in some relief being announced by state CMs or from the PM relief fund. However, this aid is usually insufficient for long-term support. Families of unreported accidents struggle daily with both emotional loss and financial hardship.
There is an urgent need for a national response plan for all accident victims, covering road accidents, air accidents, lightning, floods, landslides, and bridge collapses. This plan should activate automatically upon the reporting of any fatal accident, without the need for political declarations.
The plan should offer financial support proportional to the family's annual income, ideally around 10 times that amount, ranging from Rs 10-50 lakh. An immediate payment of Rs 2-3 lakh should cover last rites, with the remainder provided within 2-3 months. The total sum could be paid in instalments to prevent misappropriation.
Injured victims should receive funds for treatment. Permanent disability should result in proportional compensation. The recent central government scheme offering Rs 1.5 lakh in cashless treatment is a good start but inadequate for severe injuries.
While many accident victims might be covered under insurance, this is not always sufficient. Commercial airline crash compensation follows the Montreal Convention of 1999 but can take years to be processed. Interim compensation, like that announced by Tata Group, helps families survive until the actual compensation is received. Helicopter crash victims, like those in Uttarakhand, often face significant challenges in securing compensation due to financial instability of the operators and potential missed insurance payments. For road accident victims, the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunals often take years to settle, with decisions frequently challenged in higher courts, leaving families in prolonged distress.
Hit-and-run victims have an even tougher situation, with no clear party from which to claim insurance, forcing families to seek help from various government offices.
Most road accident victims are working-age individuals, leaving behind dependents who struggle without immediate financial aid. Children often have to abandon their education, and families fall into poverty. When multiple family members are injured or killed, the financial burden is even greater.
Children orphaned by accidents may end up with relatives who may not have their best interests at heart, sometimes even losing their rightful property.
A World Bank report from 2021 highlights that low-income households in poorer states suffer disproportionately from road crashes, with over 75% reporting income declines and resorting to high-interest loans, trapping them in poverty. Timely compensation can prevent this cycle.
Assured, timely financial assistance from the government can help families recover, live with dignity, and ensure children's futures are not compromised.
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To ensure necessary support, the government could release Rs 5 lakh immediately following an accidental death in public spaces or due to a disaster. The remaining amount can be provided within a few months after assessing the family's needs. The funds could be distributed as an annuity to ensure financial stability. The responsible party, whether an insurance firm or a contractor, can be determined later through legal processes.
Funding this initiative could involve collaborating with public sector life insurance companies to cover all 140 crore Indians. The premium could be funded through pooling third-party premiums, a nominal cess on fuel sales, and a small income tax surcharge. The rest would come from budgetary allocations.
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The scheme should work alongside existing insurance plans, deducting any amounts already awarded by tribunals like the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunals.
In 2023, India recorded 1.72 lakh road accident deaths. Including deaths from other causes like floods, landslides, and fires, the total would be around 2 lakh per year. With an average payout of Rs 20 lakh per death, the total funding required would be Rs 40,000 crore. This amount would reduce the need for separate ex-gratia payments by state or central governments. Additionally, the financial pressure would motivate the government to enforce better laws and regulations to reduce accidents.
tags :
accident Compensation insurance plane crash
Location :
New Delhi, India, India
First Published:
June 18, 2025, 23:24 IST
News opinion Plane Crashes, Road Mishaps, Bridge Collapses: India Needs National Plan To Aid Accident Victims' Kin
