In a significant move aimed at accountability and citizen welfare, the Maharashtra government has established a special committee to decide financial compensation for individuals who die or are injured due to potholes and open manholes on roads under the Public Works Department (PWD).
Compensation Structure and Committee Formation
Acting on a directive from the Bombay High Court, the state has fixed the compensation amount. Families of deceased victims will receive Rs 6 lakh, while those injured will be granted sums ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh, depending on the severity of their injuries.
The three-member panel is headed by the Additional Chief Secretary of the PWD. The other members include the Secretary (Roads) and the Secretary of the District Legal Services Authority. This committee is tasked with examining each accident case individually to determine the appropriate compensation.
Operational Guidelines and Public Awareness
The committee has been instructed to act swiftly. Its first meeting must be held within a week of receiving information about an accident. Furthermore, it must meet at least once every fifteen days, with more frequent meetings anticipated during the monsoon season when road conditions deteriorate.
To ensure no case is missed, police stations have been ordered to report such accidents to the committee within 48 hours. The process is also designed to be citizen-friendly. The committee can act not only on formal applications but also on incidents reported through newspapers or other reliable sources.
The government is taking steps to ensure widespread awareness of this new mechanism. Regional and divisional PWD offices have been asked to publicise the rules in Marathi, Hindi, and English. The official resolution has been uploaded on the government website with a digital signature, formally enacting the court's order.
Fixing Financial Responsibility and Penalties
The government resolution clearly outlines how the compensation will be funded and who will be held accountable. If an accident occurs on a road stretch that is under an ongoing contractor's work or within the defect-liability period, the compensation will be recovered from the contractor's security deposit.
In other cases, the PWD will disburse the amount initially but will later recover it from officials, engineers, or contractors found responsible after a detailed inquiry. The resolution warns that contractors and officials responsible for substandard work may face penalties, blacklisting, or even criminal proceedings.
This proactive measure, initiated from a Bombay High Court order on October 13 in a long-running Public Interest Litigation (PIL), marks a critical step towards holding authorities accountable for road safety and maintenance, promising some solace to affected families.
