As Maharashtra doubles child welfare grant, benefit yet to reach several Covid orphans

For the first time in 2021, amid the second wave of the pandemic, former Women and Child Development (WCD) minister Yasomati Thakur raised the need to increase the rehabilitation amount for eligible children. However, the file didn’t get a final nod from the finance department. Finally, after almost over one and a half years, the state government on Tuesday passed the decision to increase the amount to Rs 2,500 under the scheme.

Heramb Kulkarni from Corona Ekal Mahila Punarvasan Samiti (CEMPS), an NGO that has been taking up the cause, expressed his satisfaction as it would benefit many families from vulnerable communities. He said states like Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi pay over Rs 3,000.

“In today’s world, Rs 1,125 is just highly inadequate for upbringing children especially in cities. There are widows, who are being abandoned by their in-laws after death of their husbands, who struggle daily to arrange food for their children,” said Kulkarni.

During the pandemic, over 28,000 children had lost either of their parents in the state making them eligible for the scheme. But due to lack of awareness, a large number of Covid impacted parents haven’t even applied for the scheme. Also, many who applied in 2021, haven’t even received the grant under the scheme.

The Indian Express spoke to some of the Covid-19 widows who haven’t been able to benefit yet. One of them is Jayashri Sandip Temgire from Akola who lost her husband in April 2021 to Covid-19. Now, she works as a tailor to feed and educate her two children. “Despite repeated follow ups, I haven’t received a single penny under Bal Sangopan Yojana. Every time I ask officials, they say it is in process. I don’t even have money for the doctor ,” said Temgire, who has been cast away by her in-laws.

Under PM Cares for Children, a central government scheme, children orphaned by the pandemic are entitled to receive Rs 10 lakh as a fixed deposit. Similarly, the Maharashtra government will also give the child Rs 5 lakh as a fixed deposit, which they can withdraw only after the age of 23 years (Centre) and 21 years (state).

“So, this monthly grant is the only financial assistance these Covid orphans have,” said Kulkari, who has submitted a list of 500 such children who haven’t received the money.