Nearly 20% cashless treatment requests of road accident victims rejected since March 2024
New Delhi: Nearly one-fifth of the cashless treatment requests submitted by road accident victims since the launch of the Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme in March 2024 have been turned down by police authorities, the government told Parliament on Thursday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari reported that the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund has released a total of Rs 73,88,848 so far. He noted that 6,833 treatment requests had been filed under the scheme. “Out of the total number of 6,833 treatment requests raised, 5,480 victims have been found eligible. The remaining cases have been rejected by the Police,” he stated.
The initiative began on March 14, 2024, with a pilot run in Chandigarh before being extended to six additional states. The scheme seeks to ensure that individuals injured in crashes involving motor vehicles receive immediate medical attention without upfront payment. Under the Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme, 2025, each victim can access up to Rs 1.5 lakh in treatment for a period not exceeding seven days from the date of the accident. The coverage applies to all categories of roads where a motor vehicle is involved.
Gadkari added that hospitals have been submitting claims following treatment. “Out of the 2,644 claims raised by hospitals and approved by concerned State Health Agency, payment of Rs 73,88,848 has been disbursed to hospitals,” he said. The reimbursements are routed through the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, supported by contributions from general insurance companies. To strengthen the network delivering these services, 32,557 hospitals have been empanelled under the National Health Authority.
The government is preparing for a nationwide rollout of the scheme after analysing data and experience from the pilot phase. Road Secretary V Umashankar recently stated that the final version would be introduced soon, following adjustments drawn from technical assessments and project feedback. According to an earlier notification, “Any person being a victim of a road accident, arising out of the use of a motor vehicle, occurring on any road, shall be entitled to cashless treatment in accordance with the provisions of this scheme.”
Gadkari also responded to questions regarding highway development, noting that the pace of project awards has slowed over the past two financial years. He attributed the deceleration to requirements such as securing 90 per cent right of way before commencement, obtaining forest and wildlife clearances, completing approved drawings for road overbridges and underpasses, and strengthening the evaluation process. “These measures are aimed to ensure smooth implementation without substantial delays,” he said.
In a separate reply, the minister shared updated enforcement data. As of November 30, 2025, a total of 39.49 crore challans amounting to Rs 59,761.26 crore had been issued. Of these, 14.97 crore challans have been settled, generating Rs 21,684.17 crore through various payment methods.
Gadkari further informed the House that road safety audits have been mandated for all national highways at every stage, including design, construction, operation and maintenance. Since FY 2019-20, audits covering 1,78,293 km have been carried out.