Ranchi, Mar 23 (PTI) The Jharkhand government on Wednesday announced an increase in the solatium given to kin of the victims of hit-and-run road accidents to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 25,000.

The announcement was made weeks after the Centre announced a similar hike in the solatium, to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 25,000.

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"If the Centre is providing Rs 2 lakh compensation, we will also give Rs 2 lakh. The total will be Rs 4 lakh," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam said in the state assembly, replying to a query by BJP legislator Raj Sinha.

Sinha demanded to know whether the government was increasing the compensation for the victims of road accidents. BJP MLA Biranchi Narayan also raised the same matter.

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Sinha also raised concerns over fewer recorded road accident deaths in the state.

The Centre had on February 25 had notified the eight-fold increase in solatium for death in hit-and-run cases to Rs 2 lakh from April 1.

India accounts for about 5 lakh road accidents every year, in which about 1.5 lakh persons are killed and around 3 lakh are crippled -- one of the highest in the world.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)