Goa’s acid attack rehabilitation scheme will provide survivors with state-funded medical treatment, reconstructive surgery, counselling, legal assistance and financial support of up to Rs 1 lakh, according to the scheme notified by the state government.
The Rehabilitation of Acid Attack Victims Scheme applies to Goa residents who survive acid attacks and suffer permanent disfigurement, functional impairment or disability. Its provisions cover treatment at government or approved private hospitals, along with rehabilitation services intended to support education, skill development, employment and self-employment.
The scheme provides an immediate grant of Rs 25,000, preferably within 48 hours of authorities receiving information about an attack. The amount is intended to meet urgent needs including medicines, food, clothing, travel, temporary accommodation and attendant support.
A further Rs 75,000 may be sanctioned within 15 days after verification for medical and rehabilitation expenses. This takes the total available financial assistance to Rs 1 lakh. The scheme states that benefits should not be denied because criminal proceedings related to an attack are still pending.
The state government will bear the full cost of treatment related to the acid attack at government or approved private hospitals. Survivors will be entitled to reconstructive or plastic surgery whenever medically required. The number of surgeries will be determined according to medical need and assessed by a panel of government or empanelled specialists.
Where specialised treatment is not available in Goa, survivors may be referred to a government or empanelled hospital outside the state. The scheme also provides for counselling, legal assistance and support in obtaining disability certification, welfare benefits and assistive devices.
The notification comes against the backdrop of two acid attack cases reported in Goa, in 2025 and 2016. In 2025, a 17-year-old student was attacked at a bus stop in Dhargal. In the 2016 case, a minor girl and her grandmother were injured in an attack in Mapusa.
Beyond emergency payments, the scheme creates an administrative framework covering medical care, long-term rehabilitation and social and economic support. Its provisions place responsibility on the state to facilitate access to treatment and related services, including when care has to be arranged outside Goa.
The notified measures are intended to ensure that survivors can access urgent assistance, specialised medical intervention and longer-term rehabilitation without waiting for the conclusion of criminal proceedings. Implementation will depend on authorities receiving information about cases, completing verification for the additional grant and arranging assessment and treatment through government or empanelled specialists.
