To extend help to women who lost their husbands due to pandemic, the Maharashtra government’s Women and Child Development Department has launched ‘Mission Vatsalya,’ aimed to serve around 18 benefits, schemes, services to them under one roof.
“COVID widows, especially from rural areas, underprivileged backgrounds and deprived sections were a neglected facet of the crisis. Due to the death of the breadwinner, their hardship aggravated. Considering these aspects, Mission Vatsalya is launched,” said Women and Child Development Minister Yashomati Thakur.
In the last one and half years, around 15,095 women lost their husbands due to COVID-19. Of them, 14,661 women were listed by the District Task Force. Ms. Thakur said efforts are being made by her department to provide 18 services to help them and also to get the certificates they need including a number of schemes like Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana and Gharkul Yojana.
Under this scheme, 8,661 women have applied for the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Anudan Yojana, 405 for the Shravanbal Seva State Pension Scheme and 71 for the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme. Applications have been received from 1,209 women for the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme. The Department has received three applications for the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme. So far10349 applications have been received from the women contacted by the department of women and child development.
Officials from the Women and Child Development Department, office of the Child Development Project Officer, the Local Unit Officer and the Anganwadi Sevikas will be going to the homes of these women and to check and provide them these services. As of now, we have reached about more than ten thousand women in the state who will get various benefits soon.
