Ahmedabad, Dec 12 : Gujarat's Collective Group Accident Insurance Scheme has evolved into a safety net for millions, offering timely financial relief during some of the state's worst tragedies, government officials said on Friday.

Today, more than 4.12 crore citizens are covered under the scheme, officials added.

Over the past five years, the state has disbursed nearly Rs 293 crore to families of more than 16,000 accident victims.

From the Ahmedabad aircraft crash and the Harni accident in Vadodara to the Morbi bridge collapse, Rajkot gaming zone fire and the Takshashila blaze, compensation has been delivered swiftly -- often within days -- ensuring that families are not left to navigate shock and financial loss alone.

This unified scheme was introduced after the state government consolidated various department-level insurance programmes into a single mechanism to avoid duplication and widen access.

Under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the insurance regulator's office designed a standardised model that now provides Rs 2 lakh to Rs 15 lakh of coverage across 14 key categories.

These include farmers, unorganised labourers, students, police personnel, jail guards, sanitation workers, widows, persons with disabilities, diamond artisans and youth involved in adventure activities.

Gujarat Finance Minister Kanu Desai and Minister of State Kamlesh Patel have led efforts to ensure rapid processing of claims during natural calamities and other emergencies.

Their intervention has strengthened the scheme's reputation for transparency, speed and citizen-centric delivery.

Far beyond numbers, the programme represents a deeper message: in moments of crisis, the Gujarat government stands firmly behind its people.

The Collective Group Accident Insurance Scheme today stands as a cornerstone of the state's social security framework -- an assurance that public interest remains the state government's highest priority.

The Morbi bridge collapse, Rajkot gaming zone fire, and Takshashila blaze stand out as three of Gujarat's most devastating civic tragedies in recent years, each exposing critical gaps in safety and oversight.

The Morbi suspension bridge collapse in 2022 claimed more than 130 lives, many of them children and families out for an evening stroll, after a recently renovated structure collapsed catastrophically.

The Rajkot TRP gaming zone fire in 2024 killed more than 25 people, raising urgent questions about fire safety compliance in recreational facilities.

The Takshashila coaching-centre blaze in Surat in 2019, which took the lives of 22 young students, triggered national outrage over illegal constructions and inadequate fire exits in commercial buildings.

/IANS