JAJPUR: As many as 1,998 kids in the district have been orphaned since the Covid-19 outbreak last year.
These children have either lost one of their parents or both due to various reasons between April 1 last year and July 31, 2021.
The district administration is preparing a database of these orphaned children to include them in Ashirbad Yojana of the State government. No matter what the cause of their parents’ death, all kids who have been orphaned will receive financial assistance, District child protection officer (DCPO) Niranjan Kar said.
“Under the scheme, the State government will provide Rs 2,500 per month for every kid who has been orphaned. The amount will be transferred to the bank accounts of guardians or caretakers of the beneficiaries till they attain the age of 18 years,” Kar said.
If such children have to be shifted to childcare institutions in absence of a caretaker, an additional amount of Rs 1,000 will be allotted to them every month. The State government will also facilitate their education in schools.
The DCPO further informed that guardians and caretakers of these children have been asked to approach the district child protection units with death certificates and Aadhaar cards of the deceased besides their bank passbooks to avail benefits under Ashirbad scheme. “After receiving the necessary documents, we will scrutinise them and prepare a list of beneficiaries. We are taking steps to link all the orphans with the scheme,” Kar added.