Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday announced the launch of the ‘Chief Minister’s Bal Seva Scheme’ (CMBSS), a project aimed at providing support and benefits to children impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The scheme, which would supplement the PM-CARES for Children (Empowerment of COVID Affected Children), also marked the seven years of NDA Government rule in the frontier state.
“The CMBSS aims to provide the much-needed succour to the orphans. Children who have lost their parents/ surviving parents/legal guardians /adoptive parents and have become orphaned due to Covid-19 shall be eligible for the scheme,” a statement from the chief minister’s office said.
Payment of financial assistance under CBSS:
The children who are presently in non-institutional care (with extended family/guardians) are supported with Rs 2000 per child/month under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme guidelines. These children shall be made eligible for CMBSS, in case they opt to be with their extended family, grandparents or guardians.
Further, under this scheme, the state government will supplement Rs 2000 with additional Rs 1500 per child/month.
For children below 10 years having no extended family/guardian:
Child Care Institutions are supported by the Government of India for which it provides Rs 2160 as the maintenance grant per child per month. In case of such orphaned children with no extended family, grandparents or guardian, they shall be housed in one of the Child Care Institutions and will avail all benefits in the institution along with free education and healthcare.
Institutional care and education for adolescent girls:
To take care of the educational needs of adolescent girls, preference will be given for their education in institutions such as Sharada Mission, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya or any other girls’ residential schools to ensure their sensitive care and proper protection.
Other benefits: Those eligible children who are school/college going or undergoing vocational training shall be given a laptop/tablet under the scheme
Mentorship: The government would assign mentors, preferably a Gazetted Group A officer/ eminent social worker who will periodically interact with the child through offline/online modes and guide and nurture his/her talents and interests and bring the same to the knowledge of the appropriate forum/authority.
They shall also look after the problems and issues of the child.