Compensation: AJK govt offers accident insurance

Govt will pay Rs300,000 per casualty to family of deceased, whereas injured will get Rs 200,000.

MUZAFFARABAD: After the passage of a constitutional amendment, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has bound itself to pay compensation to the victims of road accidents in the state. Recently, the AJK Legislative Assembly passed the amended Motor Vehicles Act 2014. According to the amendment, the government, through general accident insurance, will pay Rs300,000 per casualty to the family of the deceased, whereas the injured will get Rs 200,000. Over 300 families who have lost their dear ones in different road accidents since January 1, 2013 would benefit from the amendment, which will take retroactive effect from that date. Minister for Transport Tahir Khokhar said that 150 families have already received compensation while around 500 cases are being verified.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2014.