Yashomati Thakur Urges Maharashtra CM To Give Monetary Relief To Children Orphaned By COVID-19

Maharashtra's Women and Child Development Minister, Yashomati Thakur, had a meeting with Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray regarding the state's plan for the children orphaned by COVID-19.

She suggested that the state should deposit about five lakh rupees, in the bank accounts of every child who has lost their parents due to COVID-19. She then added that the interest on that amount can be used for that child.

Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Yashomati Thakur met CM Uddhav Thackeray and proposed that state should do a fixed deposit of Rs 5 lakhs in the bank account of every child who lost both parents due to #COVID19 and its interest can be used for that child. pic.twitter.com/69F6GJGZdB

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2021

Yashomati Thakur assures that the state government will ensure protection of orphans

This comes after the Maharashtra government announced that it will fund the education of all those children, who have been orphaned by the pandemic. This funding will be provided until the child completes class 12. Varsha Gaikwad, the school education minister, said that all the expenses for the students' education, will be borne by the Department of Higher and Technical Education.

Yashomati Thakur had also assured that the state government will do everything to protect, and educate these children.

The Maharashtra government had earlier made an announcement to set up a 10-member task force in each of the 36 districts. This has been done, to ensure that these children get shelter, and also to supervise their adoption.

It is said that about 1,572 children in the state have lost either one or both their parents to COVID-19. About 1,474 children lost one parent, while 98 lost both their parents.

On Thursday, the Kerala government had announced that one-time financial support of 3 lakh rupees will be given to all the children who have been orphaned by the pandemic. Kerala's Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, had declared that immediate monetary relief of 2,000 rupees will be provided to all such children, till they reach the age of 18. He also added that the Kerala government will pay for the education of these children, till they attain their degree.

Many other states such as Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Punjab, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have made similar announcements.