BENGALURU: A cash incentive scheme for HIV positive children has hit a roadblock. Facing a fund crunch of `8 crore, the Vishesha Palana Yojane (VPY) can cover only Scheduled Tribe children if the government does not sanction the required amount by next quarter, according to Women and Child Development officials who run the scheme.
The scheme was launched to ensure education, nutrition and care of children living with HIV under which a cash incentive of `650 a month (orphans get `750) and an additional `500 a year for education is given. Around 17,700 children have been identified for it across the state.
However, Narmada Anand, Project Director of Integrated Child Protection Scheme under the Department of Women and Child Development, told Express that if all the children have to be given the incentive, the fund will last only for six months. Last year, there was a similar fund crunch and they gave the incentive for nine months to Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe HIV positive children only.
This year, the department has given the fund to 16,000 odd children for nine months and has written to the government for sanction of additional grant. If the government fails to sanction the grant before the start of the next quarter, only Schedule Tribe children will get the grant up to March.
Anand said, “There are 4,338 SC children, 1,785 ST children and 11,577 others who have been identified for the scheme. Last year, we diverted the unspent funds from other schemes meant for SC and ST children to the VPY and gave them incentives for the whole year, but the general category children were given the incentive only for nine months. This year, we had `15 crore and have requested an additional `8 crore. This year, ST children can be given incentives for the whole year. SC and other children will get incentives only for nine months if the government does not sanction additional funds.”
DT Thyagaraj, president, Karnataka Network of HIV Positive People, said, “We requested Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya to divert unspent funds under SC and ST schemes and are hoping to get `3.5 crore for Vishesha Palana Yojane. If the government does not sanction additional grants the kids have to forego the incentive for three months.”