Goa notifies rehab scheme for acid attack survivors

The Goa government has notified the Rehabilitation of Acid Attack Victims Scheme, providing medical treatment, reconstructive surgery, rehabilitation and financial assistance to survivors. The scheme covers state-funded treatment at government or approved private hospitals, counselling, legal aid, education, skill development, employment and self-employment support. It also helps survivors access disability certification and welfare benefits.

Eligible survivors will receive an immediate grant of Rs 25,000, preferably within 48 hours of authorities receiving information about the case. An additional Rs 75,000 may be sanctioned within 15 days after verification, taking total immediate relief to Rs 1 lakh. Benefits will not be denied because criminal proceedings are pending. The scheme applies to Goa residents who suffer permanent disfigurement, functional impairment or disability due to an acid attack.

The notification follows two acid attack cases in Goa: in 2025, a 17-year-old student was attacked at the Dhargal bus stop, and in 2016, a minor girl and her grandmother were injured in Mapusa. Where specialised treatment is unavailable in Goa, survivors may be referred to a government or empanelled hospital outside the state.