The Kerala government has set aside Rs 3.2 crore to be distributed among 87 children in the state who have lost both their parents to COVID-19. The government has announced Rs 3 lakh compensation to each child. Speaking to the media, Kerala State Health Minister Veela George said that the children to receive the funds were identified by conducting a door-to-door survey held by Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) volunteers.
A major concern for children who have lost both parents to COVID-19 is being secure— financially and otherwise— to manage in the future. Following the survey conducted, each district’s child welfare committee visited the identified houses in their jurisdiction and collected information on the help that the children would require in the future. According to the government’s promise, the children’s education until their undergraduate degree will be fully sponsored by the state government, with funds routed by the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. Further, the Rs 3 lakh that each child gets will be put as a fixed deposit, along with a monthly sum of Rs 2,000 given to each child as “financial help”.
Speaking to the media, Veena George said that the scheme is applicable to children who have lost both their parents to COVID-19, children whose parents passed away after three months of testing negative for COVID-19 but with the deaths being proven to be due to post-COVID complications, children who don’t have parents and have lost their guardians (one or two) in the pandemic, and children who only had one parent and lost them to COVID-19.
The Health Minister also assured that the annual income of the family will not be a factor for children to avail this scheme. However, she also said that children who are availing the family pension of the government will not be eligible for the scheme. She also added that the fixed deposits will be created in the child’s name, so that they will be able to withdraw and use the money once they turn 18 years old. However, the child can withdraw interest on the FD at any given point, as and when required.