BHOPAL: Five Covid orphans, the youngest a 10-month baby and the eldest a seven-year-old girl, were found begging on the streets of Bhind in Madhya Pradesh. A heart-rending video of this went viral, eventually leading to their rescue.
The other children are five, three and two years old. They were left to fend for themselves as their parents died due to the Covid recently.
A video of them begging for food, the eldest sister carrying the infant in her arms, was shared widely on social media. chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan saw the video and ordered the administration to rescue them. All five are now at a ‘Sishu Grih’, shelter for children.
District collector Dr Satish Kumar S said he came to know about the children two days ago. “We took immediate action. The child welfare committee approached them and shifted them to sishu griha after taking consent of their grandfather. We will take care of them and will do the needful in compliance with juvenile justice laws,” he told TOI.
The children hail from Uttar Pradesh, the collector said. Their aunt kept them with her for a while in UP but then left them with their grandfather in Bhind district.
“Their grandfather is too old to earn for himself. We had to take his consent to shift these children to rehab. Initially, he was not ready. We had to counsel him,” said the collector. Administrative officers have been asked to prepare their documents.
Lahar MLA Govind Singh too has assured all support to the children. The government may give these children for adoption, as per the rules, if their relatives give consent, said sources.
The pandemic has orphaned over 300 children in Madhya Pradesh. The state government has created a database to support them under a scheme announced by CM Chouhan.
MP was one of the first states to start identification of children orphaned by the pandemic after which the Mukhya Mantri Bal Kalyan Yojana was announced. Under this scheme, children who have lost both their parents will be provided a sustenance allowance of Rs 5,000 per month till they attain the age of 21. If the child pursues studies beyond the age of 21, the allowance would be provided till the age of 24.
The legal guardian of such children will be identified according to the provisions of Juvenile Justice Act. Even those children being taken care of by the government in childcare institutions will be eligible for the benefits after they turn 18. The two-child norm has no bearing on the scheme.
