On Wednesday, the Maharashtra government announced that five lakh fixed deposits will be issued in the names of orphaned children who have lost at least one parent to COVID-19.
They will also get a monthly stipend of Rs 1,125.
Currently, 162 children in the state have lost both parents, at least one of them has succumbed to the epidemic. Officials say nine of these children are in government institutions because they have no family to care for them.
Uddhav Thackeray, the chief minister, presided over the cabinet meeting that made the decision.
After reaching the age of 21, the recipients would get the FD amount plus interest, according to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office.
This will be in addition to the perks that the Union government has declared.
These orphaned youngsters can live in government-run child shelter houses or with relatives if they accept care for them.
The bank FD will be in the joint name of the beneficiary child and the local Women and Child Development (WCD) Department officer.
This help will be available to any kid under the age of 18 if both parents died of COVID-19 after March 1, 2020, or one parent died of COVID-19 and the other died for any other reason.
After the cabinet meeting, WCD minister Yashomati Thakur told reporters that in addition to the FD, relatives of orphaned children will receive $1,125 each month to care for them.
“We’re hoping to raise up to 2,500 dollars,” she continued.
Children who have only lost one parent to COVID-19 but have a living parent will also get this monthly help, but they will not be eligible for the FD programme.
According to official data, 5,172 children in the state have lost one parent to COVID-19, with the other parent still alive.
“We have made a provision of ₹ 10 crore for about 200 orphaned children. The budget will be increased if there are more such children,” minister Thakur added
