Up to ₹5L aid to stray cattle, dog bite victims

CHANDIGARH : Following the rising graph of road crashes and fatalities involving stray cattle, the Haryana government has rolled out a policy under which ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh financial assistance will be given to the state residents in case of death or permanent disability due to stray cattle, animal or dog bite.

The menace of stray cattle is such that in five years till August 2022, over 900 human lives were snuffed out in about 3,380 road accidents caused by stray cattle in Haryana.

Now, under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Parivar Suraksha Yojana (DAYALU-II), which the state planning department has notified on May 24, the financial assistance will vary depending on the age of the person at the time of accidental death or permanent disability.

As per the policy, the victim will be eligible for compensation if the stray cattle/animal involved in the accident is cow, bull, oxen, donkey, mule, nilgai and buffalo that roam freely. The victims of dog bites will also be eligible for the compensation.

The financial assistance in case of disability will be given if it is 70% or above and certified by the medical authority. “In case of death, the aid will be paid to the head of the family in their bank account registered in the Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) database or linked to the Aadhaar number of head of the family,” the policy says.

All residents of Haryana having family ID/PPP number will be eligible for the financial assistance under the scheme that has come into force from the date of notification in the official gazette. However, any claim made under this scheme for the death/permanent disability prior to the notification of the scheme will not be entertained. At least ₹1 lakh assistance will be given if the age of the victim is up to 12 years, ₹2 lakh for victims aging 12 to 17 years, ₹3 lakh for those between 18 and 25 years, ₹5 lakh for those in the age bracket of 25 to 40 years and ₹2 lakh for those above 40 years.

The beneficiary will have to file a claim through the online portal of the scheme (https:// dapsy.finhry.gov.in/) while seeking compensation in case of accidental death/ permanent disability. The detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for implementation of the scheme are being issued separately, says the notification issued by Anurag Rastogi, additional chief secretary, Finance and Planning Department.