Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has identified 2,309 children who were orphaned due to coronavirus.
The children were being identified to extend them benefits of a child welfare scheme, launched by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, under which the government will bear the cost of upbringing and education of the children till they attain adulthood.
Uttar Pradesh Child Rights Protection Commission Chairman Vishesh Gupta has directed officials concerned to identify such children.
According to the reports 349 orphaned children were identified in Saharanpur, 144 in Muzaffarnagar, 98 in Aligarh, 88 in Lucknow, 81 in Ghaziabad, 70 in Prayagraj, 62 in Meerut, 61 in Varanasi, 58 in Mau, 50 in Ballia, 49 in Ayodhya, 46 in Farrukhabad, 45 in Kushinagar, 45 in Deoria, 45 in Unnao, 36 in Kanpur and 32 in Kanpur Dehat districts.
Of 2,309 children, 287 have lost both their parents.
The Yogi Adityanath cabinet on Monday had approved the 'Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Child Service Scheme' for the provision of maintenance and education of the children who were orphaned during the Corona epidemic.
Under this scheme, the legal guardian of the orphan children will be given Rs 4,000 per month till the child attains adulthood. In the marriage of orphaned girls, the government will give financial assistance of Rs 1,01,000. Besides, the children will get free education.
Under the proposal approved by the state cabinet, if both the parents or either of the mother or father have died due to corona, then the children will get the benefit of this scheme. (UNI)