Agartala, Dec 22 – In a historic recognition of citizen-led humanitarian service, State Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury on Monday felicitated eight individuals from Tripura with the newly introduced ‘Rahveer’ award, a central government initiative aimed at encouraging public participation in saving lives during road accidents.
The award honours people who have shown extraordinary courage and prompt action in rescuing and providing medical assistance to road accident victims within the critical golden hour, helping prevent fatalities and serious injuries. This is the first time the state has formally recognised such selfless acts of service.
The awardees — Babulal Debnath, Titu Dutta, Uttam Pal, Shyamal Das, Santosh Das, Biswajit Choudhury, Jayanta Sinha, and Mingchung Nonga — were presented with certificates and cash prizes during the 17th State Road Safety Council meeting at the Secretariat conference hall.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Chowdhury expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari for launching the Rahveer scheme. He described it as a crucial initiative that promotes civic responsibility and reinforces the importance of timely intervention in emergency situations. “The Rahveer project is a recognition of humanity and responsibility. It inspires citizens to act swiftly during accidents and ensures that lives are not lost due to delays in medical attention,” he said.
The felicitation was attended by senior officials, including Finance Secretary Apurba Roy; Special Secretary of the Food Department Debapriya Bardhan; Additional Secretary of the Transport Department Subrata Chowdhury; IGP Law & Order Munchak Ippar; Traffic Superintendent Kanta Jangir; Director of Food Department Sumit Lodh; Director of Higher Education Animesh Debbarma; Joint Secretary of Transport Department Maitri Debnath; along with representatives from other state departments.
Through this recognition, the Tripura government aims to motivate citizens to actively participate in road safety efforts, fostering a culture of quick response and compassion that can save countless lives across the state.
