A total of 9,109 drivers of commercial vehicles in the district have availed the Karnataka State Private Commercial Vehicle Drivers’ Accident Relief Scheme; however, even while announcing this on Thursday, Deputy Commissioner N. Prakash said this only represented around 50 per cent of the potential beneficiaries in the district.
The scheme for autorickshaw, taxi, cab, truck, and private bus drivers will provide accident relief cover of up to Rs. 2 lakh to the next of kin, for just a premium of Rs. 25. The State government-scheme even covers disabilities, or deaths where the police have registered a First Information Report (includes, snake bites, pedestrian accidents, drowning among others.) The family of an autorickshaw driver who died in an accident has claimed the insurance while another who is suspected to have died of a heart attack was kept pending as natural deaths were not covered under the scheme, said Anand Murthy, Labour officer. Presenting the break up for the district, he said 5,580 autorickshaw drivers, 1,378 taxi drivers, 721 Maxi cab drivers, 846 truck drivers, and 580 private bus drivers were covered under the scheme. However, out of the 20,000 private vehicles operating now, this represents about a 50 per cent penetration. “We aim for 98 per cent, and in a district like Dakshina Kannada it should be possible. We will set up stalls for enrolment in the Regional Transport Office, Legal Metrology Department, and so on,” said Mr. Prakash. Currently, the forms were to be filled and submitted in Nemmadi Kendras. However, a representative from Myshore IT Solutions Private Limited, to whom the process was outsourced, said with Nemmadi Kendras closing after January 31, to be christened Atal Janasnehi Kendra, there was uncertainty about where the processes would be shifted.