Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday announced that under the ‘Uttar Pradesh Mukhya Mantri Bal Seva Yojana’, the state government will work as guardian/care taker for children who are orphaned due to the pandemic.
Yogi Adityanath’s office announced that those children who have lost both of their parents or legal guardians due to the pandemic, then they will be included in the said yojana.
Those children who have lost the sole breadwinner of the house will also be included in the yojana.
Under the yojana, the state government will provide Rs 4,000 per month per child through their guardian/caretaker.
Yogi Adityanath’s office informed that children under age 10 years, who do not have guardian/extended family, then state government with the help of government of India will rehabilitate them in children’s home. In UP, there are currently 5 state-run children’s home for the age 0-10 years: Mathura, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Agra and Rampur.
For minor girls, they will be provided education in Indian government run Kasturba Gandhi schools or in one of the 18 Atal residential schools run by state government. The state government will further provide Rs 1,01,000 for marriage of girls who have been orphaned due to the pandemic. Further, the government will provide tablet/laptop to kids studying in schools and colleges.
PM CARES
On Saturday, PM Modi announced an initiative to help children who have lost both their parents or guardians to the coronavirus pandemic. He said such children will be supported under the ‘PM-CARES for Children’ scheme.
The Prime Minister announced that such bereaved children will get a monthly stipend once they turn 18 for the next five years from the PM Cares Fund. Moreover, they will receive a fund of Rs 10 lakh when they turn 23.
