CHANDIGARH, July 31 -- Punjab has emerged among the poorest performers in implementing the Centre's PM-RAHAT (Road Accident Victims' Hospitalisation and Assured Treatment) Scheme for crash victims in national highways, with just one claim initiated and none approved or settled since the cashless treatment programme was rolled out nationwide in February this year.

Data tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday show a stark contrast between Punjab and several other states in the utilisation of the scheme. Gujarat leads the country with 4,308 claims initiated, 3,669 approved and 3,355 settled, followed by Madhya Pradesh (3,850 initiated, 3,290 approved, 2,597 settled), Assam (1,557, 1,263, 931), Jammu & Kashmir (472, 51, 43), Uttar Pradesh (344, ...