The Tripura government has announced that it will institute the State Road Safety Excellence Awards-2026 to recognize outstanding contributions towards road safety, while also honouring eight individuals with the Rah-Veer Award 2026 for their exemplary efforts in saving the lives of road accident victims.
The announcements were made by Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury during the meeting of the State Road Safety Council-2026, held at the Video Conference Hall of the Civil Secretariat in Agartala on Wednesday.
Addressing the meeting, the minister said the government is giving top priority to road safety and has directed all concerned departments to work proactively in accordance with road safety guidelines to reduce accidents. He stressed that the administration is implementing various awareness programmes to educate people on safe road practices and prevent the loss of lives in road mishaps.
Chowdhury announced that the State Road Safety Excellence Awards-2026 will be presented in 11 categories to encourage institutions and individuals making significant contributions to road safety. The categories include Best District in Road Safety, Best District in Traffic Law Enforcement, Best District in Reduction of Road Accident Fatalities, Best Police Station in Road Safety, Best Trauma Care Hospital, Best Ambulance Service, Best Road Engineering Initiative, Best First Response Service, Best Accident Investigation, Best Good Samaritan (Rah-Veer), and Best Functional Initiative by the Transport Department.
The minister also highlighted the success of the Rah-Veer Scheme, launched by the government of India in 2025 to encourage citizens to assist road accident victims during the critical "golden hour." He said timely medical attention can save many lives and urged the public to come forward to help accident victims whenever possible.
At the programme, eight recipients were presented with the Rah-Veer Award 2026, each receiving a certificate and a cash award of Rs 25,000. Two awardees were honoured jointly, with recipients drawn from Gomati (five), Dhalai (one), and Unakoti (one) districts.
The meeting was attended virtually by District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police from all districts. Among those present at the Secretariat were PWD Secretary Kiran Gitte, Finance Secretary Prashant Kumar Goyal, Higher Education Secretary Animesh Debbarma, Transport Commissioner Subrata Chowdhury, Traffic SP Kanta Jangir, and other senior officials.