The Kerala government will soon implement the Union government’s PM-RAHAT (Prime Minister–Road Accident Victims’ Hospitalisation and Assured Treatment) scheme in the State, Transport Minister C.P. John has said. He said this during the discussion on the demands for grants in the Assembly here on Tuesday (June 30, 2026).The State-level inauguration of the scheme will be held at the Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram by Health Minister K. Muraleedharan. Under the scheme, treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakh will be provided to any road accident victim for a maximum period of seven days from the date of the accident, the Minister said.Road safety driveThe Transport department is also planning to launch a road safety campaign modelled on the literacy campaign, targeting people from different walks of life, ranging from children to senior citizens, with the objective of reducing annual road fatalities to around 1,000 from the current figure of more than 4,000 deaths per year. A project to eliminate black spots on roads, including by correcting road geometry and improving road signage, is also in the pipeline, the Minister said.The department will also soon finalise a proposal to provide immediate assistance of ₹10,000 to the families of victims of road accidents involving Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses to cover funeral expenses, against the backdrop of delays in receiving compensation through claims before the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT), the Minister said.Hydrogen busesA proposal to roll out hydrogen buses on a pilot basis in association with Travancore Titanium Products Limited (TTPL), KSRTC and the Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (Anert) is also under the State government’s consideration.Additionally, projects to boost cargo movement through inland waterways from Kottayam to Kozhikode via Kochi, introduce a boat service from Veli to Anchuthengu in Thiruvananthapuram, and launch a sunset cruise on Vembanad Lake to attract tourists are also under the State government’s consideration, Mr. John said.Kerala Public Works Department (PWD) Minister P.K. Basheer said the State government is considering to revamp the PWD Manual to ensure that all projects are implemented in a time-bound manner. He also urged legislators to help the government by taking the initiative to provide land for approach roads connected to bridge construction across different parts of the State. Although work on as many as 24 bridges has been completed, they are yet to be made motorable because of delays in acquiring land for approach roads, he said.Minister for Water Resources Mons Joseph, who also spoke on the occasion, said the Central government has agreed to include a representative from Kerala in the parliamentary committee formed to evaluate the ongoing Mullaperiyar dam issue between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The State government will soon nominate a representative to the committee, he said.K.M. Shaji, Minister for Local Self-Governments (LSGD), said the concerns raised from different quarters regarding the Life Mission project would be addressed. However, the Minister clarified that this does not mean any eligible beneficiary would be left out of the scheme. Published - June 30, 2026 08:36 pm IST