Agartala, September 22: The number of fatalities in road accidents in Tripura has continued to decline, Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a road safety awareness and sensitisation programme at the State Guest House in Agartala, Chowdhury said the state recorded 577 road accidents and 261 deaths in 2023. In 2024, 578 accidents claimed 226 lives, while in 2025, the number of accidents fell to 527 and fatalities to 157. According to the latest figures cited by the minister, 134 people have died in road accidents in the state till August this year.
The minister attributed the decline in fatalities to coordinated efforts by the Transport Department and police, regular enforcement drives and closer monitoring of road safety measures. He said the government was also focusing on ensuring that accident victims and their families receive benefits under various assistance schemes without delay.
Chowdhury highlighted the Rah-Veer, PM RAHAT and hit-and-run compensation schemes and urged elected representatives and officials to create greater awareness about them.
The Rah-Veer scheme, earlier known as the Good Samaritan scheme, provides a reward of Rs 25,000 to a person who takes an injured accident victim to hospital during the golden hour. The scheme also provides protection against unnecessary police harassment. According to the minister, 11 people were recognised under the scheme in Tripura in 2025 and seven have received recognition so far this year.
However, he noted that the number of beneficiaries remained low compared with the number of accidents. In July and August alone, 413 road accidents were reported in the state, he said.
Under the PM RAHAT scheme, eligible road accident victims can receive cashless treatment of up to Rs 1.5 lakh at designated hospitals. Chowdhury said 336 people in Tripura had so far benefited from the scheme, with around Rs 6.16 lakh provided as assistance.
For hit-and-run cases, compensation of up to Rs 2 lakh is available to the family of a deceased victim, while injured victims can receive up to Rs 50,000, according to the provisions cited by the minister.
He urged panchayat samiti chairpersons, district council members and chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of urban local bodies to inform people in their respective areas about the schemes.
“If we ourselves are not fully aware of these schemes, we cannot guide others properly,” he said.
The minister also called on elected representatives and officials to actively participate in technical training and awareness sessions on how to access the benefits.
He said road safety should not remain an annual exercise but should evolve into a sustained social movement through public participation.
Chowdhury also acknowledged the role of the police and Transport Department in reducing road fatalities and recalled the contribution of former Tripura Director General of Police Anurag Dhankar to road safety initiatives.
He stressed the need for closer coordination among the Transport, Police and Health departments, district administrations and elected representatives to further reduce road accidents and ensure timely government assistance to victims.
