CM Thackeray asks WCD department to come up with policy for children who lost parents to Covid

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday asked the state women and child development (WCD) department to formulate a policy on providing benefits – ranging from their upbringing to bearing the responsibility of their education – to children who have lost either one or both parents to Covid-19 across the state.

Thackeray gave these instructions during a virtual meeting with department officials to review various existing and proposed schemes.

The WCD officials in the meeting said that so far they have been able to trace 114 children who have lost both parents and more than 1,500 children, who have lost one parent.

An official said the meeting discussed the provision of providing financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the children who have lost both parents.

“Issues like who will take care of the children, how the assistance should be deposited if the children are below the age of 18, their education, skill development and others were discussed. The CM then asked the department to formulate a policy,” the official added.

Thackeray also asked the department to submit consolidated information about current and proposed schemes, estimated expenditure and additional funds required so that a policy decision could be taken regarding such children.

The CM further said that an interaction should be organised between doctors in the paediatric task force and WCD officials on how to protect children from Covid-19, the official said.