Team Herald
PANJIM: All the five children, orphaned after their parents succumbed to COVID-19 infection, are fortunate to get foster parents in the form of their relatives. The children, however, have or are in process of receiving various financial aids from Central and State government sponsored schemes.
All these five children from Goa are among 3,855 children who are provided benefits under the PM Cares for Children Scheme, under which one time grant of Rs 10 lakh per child is given for educational purpose. While three sisters from Dharbandora, one is from Panjim and another from Ponda.
Directorate of Women and Child Development (WCD) official said that Goa government had submitted eight applications of children for the financial assistance under the PM Cares for Children Scheme and of these five applications were approved by the Centre.
“All eight children are currently living with their parents’ relatives,” official said.
Apart from PM Cares benefit, seven children are eligible for Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia amount each given to the kin of COVID-19 victims. “One has already got the benefit, while applications of two children are in process and another two paper works are pending,” official added
Official said that “Mukhyamantri Anath Aadhar Yojana’, a scheme drafted by WCD, is pending before the government for approval.
“Due to Code of Conduct, the scheme could not be approved,” official said. Under the scheme, the WCD has proposed monthly allowance of Rs 4,500 per child.
