CHENNAI: WHEN a parent is imprisoned, it is their child who may serve the hardest sentence — emotionally, psychologically and financially. Many are forced to leave the security of their homes, raised by ageing grandparents or relatives with little or no income. Tamil Nadu government’s Anbu Karangal scheme, which provides Rs 2,000 a month to orphaned children till the age of 18, was meant to ease this strain but 10 months since its launch several eligible children are yet to benefit.
Launched by the Department of Children Welfare and Special Services in September 2025, Anbu Karangal also offers these children support for higher education and skill development. Its goal is to keep children in difficult circumstances within family-based care, in line with the union government’s Mission Vatsalya.
According to officials, 12,395 children were enrolled under the scheme as of June 2026; the list is updated monthly. Yet TNIE found that several children raised by their grandparents after the death of one parent and imprisonment of the other (a category eligible under the scheme), face hurdles in accessing the assistance. While some are yet to receive the monthly aid despite completing the enrolment process, others said the payments stopped once the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force ahead of the Assembly election.
Lakshmi, a 64-year-old domestic worker undergoing treatment for breast cancer in Chennai, is raising her two grandsons — in classes 10 and 12 — on the Rs 4,000 she earns every month. Her son was imprisoned for murdering his wife in 2013. Although she enrolled her grandchildren under the Anbu Karangal scheme, the assistance is yet to reach them.
“Despite my illness, I continue to work because there is no one else to care for the children. The assistance would have helped us buy uniforms, notebooks and clothes. We are still waiting with hope,” she said.
In Theni district, 66-year-old Rukmani has been raising her two grandchildren, now in classes 4 and 6, after her son was murdered in 2018 and her daughter-in-law died of an illness. “We depend almost entirely on ration rice. The Anbu Karangal money helped us buy vegetables and other essentials but it stopped coming after the elections. Every month since has been a struggle,” she rued.
Ramanathan, from Alanganallur in Madurai district, is raising his two grandchildren after his son was imprisoned for murdering his wife in 2019. The son later died in prison, leaving the two children, now teenagers, effectively orphaned. They stay at a government hostel. “Our names were included under the Anbu Karangal scheme, but we have not once received the assistance. We survive on ration rice and whatever little I earn through odd jobs. The money would have helped us buy groceries and other essentials for the children,” the 71-year-old said.
Advocate K R Raja, founder of Global Network for Equality, which works with women prisoners and children affected by parental incarceration, said that many children of prisoners are forced to relocate and endure disruption of both education and emotional well-being. “These children are victims or witnesses to the crime committed by the parent. Timely support under schemes like Anbu Karangal is a form of protection. Without it, they become vulnerable to dropping out of school, child labour, trafficking and child marriage. Supporting them is an opportunity to break the cycle of crime and poverty,” Raja said.
While officials have suggested that imprisoned parents can support their children through prison wages, Raja described it as unrealistic. “Prison wages are meagre, and deductions are made towards welfare and victim compensation funds. The amount is nowhere near enough to support a family,” he said.
Director of Children Welfare and Special Services Shilpa Prabhakar Satish told TNIE that Anbu Karangal has not been discontinued. “During the election period, the budget allocation process was pending. After funds were allocated, assistance under the Anbu Karangal scheme was sanctioned. We have also added new beneficiaries. It is possible that a few beneficiaries were left out due to technical issues. We will identify such cases and rectify them,” she assured.
Following TNIE’s queries on the implementation of the scheme, Rukmani received the monthly assistance due for her two grandchildren. However, she pointed out that the family had already endured months of hardship due to the interruption in payments by then.
(names changed to protect identities)
