Bidar Deputy Commissioner R. Ramachandran has directed officials to ensure the effective implementation of the Bala Seva Yojana by extending financial assistance to children orphaned during COVID-19.
Chairing a meeting of district-level officials of Women and Child Welfare Department and the Child Protection Committee here on Monday, he instructed officials to directly deposit financial assistance of ₹3,000 a month for children who lost their parents to COVID-19.
Deputy Director, Women and Child Welfare Department, Ravindra Ratnakar said that 125 children in the district have lost either their father or mother to COVID-19 and six children have lost both their parents.
As many as 506 children have lost either their father or mother due to cardiac arrest, cancer and other health issues and 10 children have lost both their parents due to co-morbidities, he added.
Mr. Ramachandran asked the Women and Child Welfare Department and the Health Department officials to display child helpline 1098 on all anganwadi buildings and also to display the free counselling number 14499 at all taluk hospitals, primary health centres and community health centres across the district.
