Keonjhar: Superintendent of Police, Keonjhar, JN Pankaj, has started a reward system to encourage people to help road accident victims.
Anyone who helps take the accident victim to the hospital will be rewarded with a certificate and Rs 2,000.
Pankaj said he came up with the idea to take the fear of police away from common people.
“It is a misconception. People believe that the police will harass them if they take an injured person to the hospital. The Supreme Court had also ordered that those who come forward to help should not be harassed in any form. Besides, the state government also has a reward scheme for such situations. The SP also has the power to reward anyone who helps a victim and we are more than happy to do so,” he said.
The reward system in Keonjhar was implemented in April this year. The number of deaths due to road accidents has also come down since then. Last year, there were 312 deaths related to road accidents in Keonjhar district.
This year, before mid-April, the death toll was at 103. In the following three months, it has been at 67.
“Most of the people involved in fatal accidents are youngsters from middle and lower middle class families,” Pankaj said.
This, however, is not a new step in Odisha. Pankaj had implemented the same during his tenure in Jagatsinghpur.
“Around 20 people were rewarded in Jagatsinghpur. There was a positive impact on the people there and many lives could be saved,” Pankaj added.
The good Samaritans who have been selected for the reward in Keonjhar will be honoured August 15.
PNN
