The pandemic has changed the lives of 3,800 children in Kerala for ever, snatching away either one or both of their parents.
There are 142 children in the State who have been orphaned by the disease, losing both their parents to the pandemic. The data compiled by the Women and Child Development Department, Kerala, indicated that the orphaned ones also included 39 children who were being taken care of by a single parent as the other parent had abandoned them earlier.
According to the data submitted in the Supreme Court, nearly 10,000 children had lost both their parents to the virus across the country.
Children in Thrissur were the worst affected, with 703 of them losing one parent to the infection. The disease orphaned 16 others, who lost both their parents.
Ex gratia payment
The Kerala State Legal Services Authority, on instructions from the Supreme Court, has started vetting the data on children to ascertain whether the ones who lost their parents were paid ex gratia. The paralegal volunteers of the authority will meet each child individually to ascertain whether the payment has been made, said K.T. Nizar Ahamed, member secretary of the authority.
In case of non-payment of the compensation or rejected applications, the volunteers will help children resubmit the applications and claim the compensation. The volunteers will also monitor the educational aspects of the affected children, he said.
The apex court had recently asked the State governments to reach out to those children who had lost both/surviving parents to the pandemic. The court had also instructed the States to ensure that the compensation is provided to the affected children.
The department had been monitoring the educational aspects of the pandemic-hit children through the District Education and Child Protection Officers, said a programme officers. While the State government has made a fixed deposit of ₹3 lakh each in favour of 105 children who lost both their parents, the Central government has offered ₹10 lakh. The most vulnerable among those who had lost one parent are being offered a monthly financial assistance of ₹2,000 each by the State government, the official said.
