Lost father two years ago, now Covid robs them of their mother

THANJAVUR: Relatives of two young boys from a village near Thanjavur wondered how to break the news of their mother’s death, considering the siblings lost their father just two years ago. They were shattered and worried about their future, a relative recounted.

The boys' 40-year-old mother succumbed to Covid-19 on May 14, leaving a 15-year-old Class 10 student at a government school, and a polytechnic student in the lurch.

"She was the breadwinner; she used to run a beauty parlour," the relative explained, adding that the woman's husband used to be an electrician.

The boys are now being taken care of by their maternal grandparents, who are dependent on MGNREGA earnings.

"But they are worried as their grandparents are elderly," said a relative.  

The district administration has arranged for the 15-year-old to be produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which would formally appoint his grandparents as his guardians.

This would help them get a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 to take care of the boy, officials said.