Section 163, 164, 164A, 164B and 164C  the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019

 

Section 163 Refund in certain cases of compensation paid under section 161

163. (1) The payment of compensation in respect of the death of, or grievous hurt to, any person under section 161 shall be subject to the condition that if any compensation (hereafter in this sub-section referred to as the other compensation) or other amount in lieu of or by way of satisfaction of a claim for compensation is awarded or paid in respect of such death or grievous hurt under any other provision of this Act or any other law for the time being in force or otherwise, so much of the other compensation or other amount aforesaid as is equal to the compensation paid under section 161, shall be refunded to the insurer.

(2) Before awarding compensation in respect of an accident involving the death of, or bodily injury to, any person arising out of the use of a motor vehicle under any provision of this Act other than section 161 or any other law for the time being in force, the Claims Tribunal, court or other authority awarding such compensation shall verify as to whether in respect of such death or bodily injury compensation has already been paid under section 161 or an application for payment of compensation is pending under that section, and such Tribunal, court or other authority shall-

 

(a) if compensation has already been paid under section 161, direct the person liable to pay the compensation awarded by it to refund to the insurer, so much thereof as is required to be refunded in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1);

(b) if an application for payment of compensation is pending under section 161 forward the particulars as to the compensation awarded by it to the insurer.

Explanation.-For the purpose of this sub-section, an application for compensation under section 161 shall be deemed to be pending-

(i) if such application has been rejected, till the date of the rejection of the application; and

(ii) in any other case, till the date of payment of compensation in pursuance of the application.

 

Section 164 Payment of compensation in case of death or grievous hurt, etc

164. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or in any other law for the time being in force or instrument having the force of law, the owner of the motor vehicle or the authorised insurer shall be liable to pay in the case of death or grievous hurt due to any accident arising out of the use of motor vehicle, a compensation, of a sum of five lakh rupees in case of death or of two and a half lakh rupees in case of grievous hurt to the legal heirs or the victim, as the case may be.

(2) In any claim for compensation under sub-section (1), the claimant shall not be required to plead or establish that the death or grievous hurt in respect of which the claim has been made was due to any wrongful act or neglect or default of the owner of the vehicle or of the vehicle concerned or of any other person.

(3) Where, in respect of death or grievous hurt due to an accident arising out of the use of motor vehicle, compensation has been paid under any other law for the time being in force, such amount of compensation shall be reduced from the amount of compensation payable under this section.

 

Section 164A Scheme for interim relief for claimants

164A. (1) The Central Government, may make schemes for the provision of interim relief to claimants praying for compensation under this Chapter.

(2) A scheme made under sub-section (1) shall also provide for procedure to recover funds disbursed under such scheme from the owner of the motor vehicle, where the claim arises out of the use of such motor vehicle or other sources as may be prescribed by the Central Government

 

Section 164B Motor Vehicle Accident Fund

164B. (1) The Central Government shall constitute a Fund to be called the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund and thereto shall be credited-

(a) payment of a nature notified and approved by the Central Government;

(b) any grant or loan made to the Fund by the Central Government;

(c) the balance of the Fund created under scheme framed under section 163, as it stood immediately before the commencement of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019; and

(d) any other source of income as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

(2) The Fund shall be constituted for the purpose of providing compulsory insurance cover to all road users in the territory of India.

(3) The Fund shall be utilised for the following, namely:-

(a) treatment of the persons injured in road accidents in accordance with the scheme framed by the Central Government under section 162;

(b) compensation to representatives of a person who died in hit and run motor accident in accordance with schemes framed under section 161;

(c) compensation to a person grievously hurt in a hit and run motor accident in accordance with schemes framed under section 161; and

(d) compensation to such persons as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

(4) The maximum liability amount that shall be paid in each case shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

(5) In all cases specified in clause (a) of sub-section (3), when the claim of such person becomes payable, where amount has been paid out of this Fund to any person, the same amount shall be deductible from the claim received by such person from the insurance company.

(6) The Fund shall be managed by such authority or agency as the Central Government may specify having regard to the following:-

(a) knowledge of insurance business of the agency;

(b) capability of the agency to manage funds; and

(c) any other criteria as may be prescribed by the Central Government.

(7) The Central Government shall maintain proper accounts and other relevant records and prepare an annual statement of accounts of the Fund in such form as may be prescribed by the Central Government in consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India.
(8) The accounts of the Fund shall be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India at such intervals as may be specified by him.

(9) The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India or any person appointed by him in connection with the audit of the accounts of the Fund under this Act shall have the same rights, privileges and authority in connection with such audit of the Government accounts and, in particular, shall have the right to demand the production of books, accounts, connected vouchers and other documents and papers and to inspect any of the offices of the Authority.

(10) The accounts of the Fund, as certified by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India or any other person appointed by him in this behalf, together with the audit report thereon, shall be forwarded annually to the Central Government and the Central Government shall cause the same to be laid before each House of the Parliament.

(11) Any scheme framed under sub-section (3) of section 161, as it stood immediately before the commencement of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, shall be discontinued and all rights and liabilities accruing thereunder shall be met out of the Fund with effect from the date of commencement of this Act.

 

Section 164 C Power of Central Government to make rules

164C. (1) The Central Government may make rules for the purposes of carrying into effect, the provisions of this Chapter.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for-

(a) the forms to be used for the purposes of this Chapter including,-

(i) the form of the insurance policy and the particulars it shall contain as referred to in sub-section (3) of section 147;

(ii) the form for making changes in regard to the fact of transfer in the certificate of insurance under sub-section (2) of section 157;

(iii) the form in which the accident information report may be prepared, the particulars it shall contain, the manner and the time for submitting the report to the Claims Tribunal and the other agency under section 159;

(iv) the form for furnishing information under section 160; and

(v) the form of the annual statement of accounts for the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund under sub-section (7) of section 164B;

(b) the making of applications for and the issue of certificates of insurance;

(c) the issue of duplicates to replace certificates of insurance lost, destroyed or mutilated;

(d) the custody, production, cancellation and surrender of certificates of insurance;

(e) the records to be maintained by insurers of policies of insurance issued under this Chapter;

(f) the identification by certificates or otherwise of persons or vehicles exempted from the provisions of this Chapter;

(g) the furnishing of information respecting policies of insurance by insurers;

(h) adopting the provisions of this Chapter to vehicles brought into India by persons making only a temporary stay therein or to vehicles registered in a reciprocating country and operating on any route or within any area in India by applying those provisions with prescribed modifications;

(i) the requirements which a certificate of insurance is required to comply with as referred to in clause (b) of section 145;

(j) administration of the Fund established under sub-section (3) of section 146;

(k) the minimum premium and the maximum liability of an insurer under sub-section (2) of section 147;

(l) the conditions subject to which an insurance policy shall be issued and other matters related thereto as referred to in sub-section (3) of section 147;

(m) the details of settlement, the time limit for such settlement and the procedure thereof under sub-section (2) of section 149;

(n) the extent of exemptions and the modifications under the proviso to sub-section (3) of section 158;

(o) the other evidence under sub-section (5) of section 158;

(p) such other agency to which the accident information report as referred to in section 159 may be submitted;

(q) the time limit and fee for furnishing information under section 160;

(r) the higher amount of compensation in respect of death under clause (a) of sub-section (2) of section 161;

(s) a sum to be paid as interim relief as referred to in clause (a) of sub-section (4) of section 161;

(t) the procedure for payment of compensation under sub-section (1) of section 164;

(u) such other sources from which funds may be recovered for the scheme as referred to in sub-section (2) of section 164A;

(v) any other source of income that may be credited into the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund under sub-section (1) of section 164B;

(w) the persons to whom compensation may be paid under clause (d) of sub-section (3) of section 164B;

(x) the maximum liability amount under sub-section (4) of section 164B;

(y) the other criteria under clause (c) of sub-section (6) of section 164B;

(z) any other matter which is to be, or may be, prescribed or in respect of which provision is to be made by rules.

 

Power of State Government to make rules

 effect, the provisions of this Chapter other than the matters specified in section 164C.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for-

(a) the other authority under sub-section (5) of section 147; and

(b) any other matter which is to be, or may be, prescribed, or in respect of which provision is to be made by rules.".