The Supreme Court on Wednesday came down heavily on the Centre for failing to comply with its directive to formulate a scheme for cashless medical treatment of motor accident victims.

The court summoned the Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to explain the delay.

A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan expressed strong displeasure, noting that the Centre had not complied with its January 8 order, despite the deadline expiring on March 15, 2025.

"This is a serious breach—not just of this Court’s order, but of the statutory duty to implement a highly beneficial piece of legislation," the bench remarked.

“We direct the Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, to appear via video conferencing and explain why the directions were not followed.”

Responding to the court, Additional Solicitor General Vikramjeet Banerjee said that the government was facing “bottlenecks” in implementing the scheme. But the bench was unconvinced.

"This is your own legislation. People are losing lives because there is no cashless treatment facility available. This is for the benefit of the common people," the court noted sternly. "We are putting you on notice—we will initiate contempt proceedings. Ask your Secretary to come and explain."

The official has been directed to appear before the court on April 28.

On January 8, the apex court had instructed the Centre to frame a scheme for cashless medical treatment during the critical “golden hour” following a road accident. The court had invoked Section 162(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and given the Centre until March 14 to finalize and submit the scheme.

The “golden hour,” as defined under Section 2(12-A) of the Act, refers to the one-hour window immediately after a traumatic injury, during which prompt medical attention is most likely to prevent death.