HIV positive persons can avail a monthly assistance of Rs.1,000 under the farmers protection scheme, said N.R.Sivapathi, Minister for School Education, Law, Youth Welfare and Sports, here on Saturday.
At a function to mark the World AIDS Day observation, Mr.Sivapathi said HIV positive persons holding identity cards issued under the Farmers Protection Scheme are sanctioned the assistance without any precondition.
This apart, HIV positive destitute children are also extended medical and educational assistance from the Chief Minister’s Special Fund. While students in standards I to V are given Rs.2,000, those in standards VI to IX are given Rs.3,000. For Plus One and Plus Two students, Rs.5,000 is being given. The Minister distributed sanction orders for a monthly pension of Rs.1,000 each to 70 persons and medical and educational assistance to the tune of Rs.163 lakhs to 49 HIV affected children on the occasion.
Jayashree Muralidharan, Collector, A.Jaya, Mayor, R.Manoharan, T.P.Poonatchi and T.Indira Gandhi, MLAs, were present. In a show of solidarity, the Minister and other dignitaries also partook lunch along with HIV infected persons. Earlier, Mr.Sivapathi distributed free laptops to 31 students of Government School for Blind Girls, Puthur, and assistive devices to six differently abled persons.
He also inaugurated the distribution of dresses to Anganwadi children in the district and handed over the same to 31 children on the occasion. In Tiruchi district, about 41,659 children in the age group of 2 to 5 attending Anganwadi centres would be given two sets of dresses with an allocation of Rs.89 lakhs.