As the death toll due to COVID-19 continues to climb upwards, reports of hundreds of children being orphaned by the pandemic continue to pour in from all quarters.
While in some cases the killer virus has snatched away both parents from these vulnerable children, in other cases the child has lost one parent and the family is left to battle acute financial stress.
In this backdrop, many states have come forward to support these children in distress.
Here is the list of states offering financial and educational support to children orphaned by COVID-19:
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh was the first state to announce that it will provide free education and a pension of Rs 5,000 per month to children whose parents died of COVID-19.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “We will provide education free of cost to the children who have lost their parents. They will be provided free ration even if they are not eligible for it.”
#COVID19 महामारी ने कई परिवारों को तोड़कर रख दिया। कई परिवार ऐसे हैं, जिनके बुढ़ापे का सहारा छिन गया और कुछ ऐसे बच्चे हैं, जिनके सिर से पिता का साया उठ गया है।
वे बच्चे, जिनके पिता, अभिभावक का साया उठ गया और कोई कमाने वाला नहीं है, इन परिवारों को रु.5000 प्रतिमाह पेंशन दी जाएगी। pic.twitter.com/vUKaioQSL5
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) May 13, 2021
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has also announced that the state will pay for education of those children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19 pandemic. Scholarship of Rs 500 for children studying in Classes 1-8 and a scholarship of Rs 1000 for the children studying in Classes 9-12 one studying in class 9th to 12th have been announced.
“It has also been decided by the state government that if these children apply for admission to Swami Atmanand English Medium Schools started in the state, then they will be given admission on priority and no fee will be charged from them,” tweeted CM Bhupesh Baghel.
➡️ राज्य सरकार द्वारा यह भी निर्णय लिया गया है कि यदि ये बच्चे राज्य में प्रारंभ किए गए स्वामी आत्मानंद इंग्लिश मीडियम स्कूलों में प्रवेश हेतु आवेदन देते हैं तो उन्हें प्राथमिकता से प्रवेश दिया जायेगा और उनसे किसी भी प्रकार की फीस नहीं ली जायेगी
4/4— Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) May 13, 2021
Delhi
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said the state government will bear expenses of children who lost their parent/s to the COVID-19 outbreak. He also promised to extend monetary help to families who have lost their earning members.
ऐसे कई बच्चे जिनके माता पिता दोनो चल बसे, उन बच्चों की पढ़ाई और परवरिश का सारा खर्चा दिल्ली सरकार उठाएगी।
जिन बुजुर्गों ने अपने घर के युवाओं को खो दिया उनका ख्याल दिल्ली सरकार रखेगी। pic.twitter.com/z267zl5fhE
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 14, 2021
Gujarat
Gujarat’s Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has also made a decision to provide assistance of Rs 4000 per month to the children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19 till they are 18 years of age.
CM Shri @vijayrupanibjp takes a humanitarian decision to provide the assistance of Rs.4000 per month to the children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19 infection till they are 18 years of age. pic.twitter.com/jZmWPeI9YS
— CMO Gujarat (@CMOGuj) May 13, 2021
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to rehabilitate children who either lost their parents due to COVID-19 them in Child Protection Centres.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, in an official statement, said that “Children, who have lost their parents to the COVID-19 pandemic will be provided with special scholarship by the government.”
#JandKFightsCorona#COVID19 Pandemic: J&K Government announces a slew of relief measures. #CoronavirusPandemic #WeshallOvercome #BreakTheChain pic.twitter.com/SRdHQ69BK8
— Office of LG J&K (@OfficeOfLGJandK) May 11, 2021