Being the ‘Santa Claus’ to children who were orphaned by the second corona wave, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on his birthday asked officials to revise the provision of providing help to those affected children whose legal guardian’s income was below Rs 2 lakh per year.
"For the legal or natural guardian, the annual income of Rs 2 lakh was quite low and hence it should be raised to benefit the unfortunate children. The Women and Child Welfare department should identify such children at the earliest. No child should be deprived of this welfare scheme. Work should be done with sensitivity in this regard," the CM directed senior officials at a high-level meeting in Lucknow on Saturday.
Speaking about Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana, Director of Women and Child Welfare, Manoj Rai said, “Adequate steps are being taken to identify such children who lost their parents due to COVID-19 pandemic. So far, 300 children have been identified and the work is still in progress.”
For the systematic upbringing and education of children, who lost both their parents or legal guardians due to COVID-19, Yogi has launched ‘Uttar Pradesh Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana’ under which a monthly financial assistance of Rs 4,000 will be given to a child’s guardian or caretaker till he /she attains adulthood, while those who do not have anyone to look after them will be sent to child protection homes.
In support of children orphaned by COVID-19, the CM said that a free education facility will be provided in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya and Atal Residential Schools and instructed officials to ensure proper education for orphaned children above 18 years of age. “No child’s education should be interrupted due to financial reasons”, he said.
Under the Abhyudaya Yojana of the Yogi government, laptops and tablets will be provided to facilitate higher studies of such children. The state government will provide financial assistance of Rs 1,01,000 for the marriage of girls under the scheme. Orphans upto 10 years, who do not have any guardian or extended family to take care of them, will be rehabilitated in five Rajkiya Bal Grah (children’s shelter homes) of Uttar Pradesh. These children’s shelter homes are established in Mathura, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Agra, and Rampur.