`5L aid to orphaned kids in TN
`3,500 per month to guardian of child who lost parents to Covid: Himanta
Chief minister M. K. Stalin unveiled a special government scheme to take care of the children, who have lost both or one of their parents to Covid, by providing them relief till they turned 18 and giving them priority in all other government welfare programmes.
Apart from paying an immediate relief of `5 lakh, which would be deposited in the name of the child and would be handed over with interest when the child turned 18, the government would take care of the educational expenses of such children. The decision on the scheme was taken at a high-level meeting, presided by the CM, at the secretariat with a view to providing succor to the large number of children orphaned by the second wave of the Covid, in which many young people have died. The task forces formed at the district level would identify the beneficiaries who would be eligible for the relief under the scheme and ensure that the benefits reach them.
Among the other benefits that the government would extend to the children are priority in admission at government homes and hostels. Those children under the care of guardians would also be paid `3,000 per month for the upbringing.
Even single parents who have been left with children to take care of with the spouses succumbing to Covid would be eligible to receive an immediate relief of `3 lakh and priority in government welfare schemes, the release said. Meanwhile, Assam chief Himanta Biswa Sarma also said his government will be providing `3,500 per month to the guardian of every child orphaned due to Covid in the state, for their education and skill development.