Orphaned by COVID-19, 16-year-old differently-abled boy adopted by Haryana government

A differently-abled 16-year-old boy in Gurugram whose parents died due to COVID-19 will be taken care of by the Haryana government, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said.

On Sunday, CM Khattar made a surprise visit to Deep Ashram, a children’s shelter home, in Gurugram, where the boy is living. The CM was informed that the boy was earlier adopted by a couple, based in Faridabad. He was rendered orphan again following the death of his parents due to COVID-19. The teenager’s father succumbed to the infection on May 14 and his mother on May 21.

The CM, after coming to know about the minor’s condition, decided to take care of him. “The Haryana government has adopted the mentally and physically challenged boy orphaned once again. Our government will bear all the expenses for his care,” the CM said in a tweet.

It may be noted that that the Haryana government has decided to provide financial assistance to minors who lost their parents or guardians to COVID-19 infection the state

Under the ‘Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana’, such children will receive monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 till they attain the age of 18 years. Apart from this, they will also get Rs 12,000 per year for other expenses.

The Centre has announced that all kids orphaned due to COVID-19 will be provided support under the ‘PM-CARES for Children’ scheme. Union Cabinet Minister for Textiles and Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani, had last week said that 577 children have been orphaned due to COVID-19 since April 1, 2021.