News Analysis India

Tag: Covid widows

  • Assam launches scheme to give Rs 2.5 lakh to COVID widows

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday rolled out a scheme to provide one-time financial assistance of Rs 2.5 lakh each to all widows, whose husbands died due to COVID-19, if their annual family income is less than Rs 5 lakh.

    Under the new ‘Chief Minister’s COVID-19 Widows Support Scheme’, Sarma handed over cheques to 176 eligible beneficiaries from eight districts at a function here.

    At least 873 beneficiaries have been identified as of now under this scheme, and all the cheques will be given to them by state ministers in districts by the next week, Sarma said.

    “This is not a happy programme for us. When we invite beneficiaries for some government schemes, we always take pride. But for today’s event, we are neither proud nor happy,” he said.

    In Assam, 6,159 coronavirus-positive people have died, including 1,347 due to comorbidities, he said.

    “Though we have identified 873 widows, we expect that 2,000-2,500 will be there. The enrolment process is going on in districts,” the chief minister said.

    The Assam government has already launched a scheme to provide Rs 3,500 per month to children, who lost their parents due to COVID-19.

    “I have requested the finance minister to provide some funds to give something to other COVID-19 affected families.

    Assam has done something before other states have taken such initiatives,” Sarma said.

    The state Budget for 2021-22 will be presented on July 16 by Finance Minister Ajanta Neog.

    The Budget Session of the assembly will begin on Monday.

    The beneficiaries of ‘Orunodoi’ and ‘Widow Pension’ programmes are also eligible for the one-time financial assistance under the ‘Chief Minister’s COVID-19 Widows Support Scheme’.

    As per the scheme, the beneficiary’s husband should be a COVID-19 positive patient at the time of death, and it should be certified by the State-Level COVID Death Audit Board.

    “A beneficiary must belong to a low-income family having an annual income less than Rs 5 lakh,” the scheme details mentioned.

    It, however, stated that widows of government servants will not be covered under this scheme as they will get the family pension as per usual norms.

     

  • Assam to provide Covid widows one-time aid of Rs 2.5 lakh

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI: The Assam government will pay one-time financial assistance of Rs 2.5 lakh each to women, who have lost their husbands to Covid, from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

    Making the announcement on Thursday, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Covid-induced widows will also be entitled to the benefits of “Arunodoi” scheme and the monthly widow pension under “Indira Miri Universal Widow Pension Scheme”.

    “The package will be of Rs 830 per month from Orunodoi, Rs 300 from widow pension and Rs 2.5 lakh as one-time assistance,” Sarma told journalists at a press conference on the occasion of completion of his government’s one month in office.

    Last month, the state government had announced the “Chief Minister Sishu Seva Scheme” for children orphaned by the pandemic. Under it, they will receive a financial support of Rs 3,500, including Central government support of Rs 2,000, on a monthly basis.

    Sarma on Thursday handed over the cheques of financial assistance to a few beneficiaries.

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    An amount Rs 7,81,200 will be parked in the bank as fixed deposit (FD) in the name of each beneficiary. The monthly financial assistance, to be realised from the FD, will be given to the beneficiaries till they attain the age of 24 years. On the completion of 24 years, the amount parked as FD will be credited to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

    The scheme was announced on May 29 on the occasion of completion of seven years of Narendra Modi government in power. Within 10 days of the announcement, the financial assistance was transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

    Sarma said the scheme would enable the beneficiaries to lead a life of dignity.

    For children below 10 years and adolescent girls with no guardian, the state government will take steps to house them in one of the child care institutions and provide adequate funding for their upkeep, including educational expenditure.

    The orphaned adolescent girls will be given accommodation in suitable institutions to ensure their sensitive care and proper protection.

    Considering the marriage component of the scheme, the state government will extend one-time financial assistance. It will give one “tola” of gold under “Arundhati” scheme and Rs 50,000 to each girl. For skill development and training, laptops or tablets will be provided to school or college-going orphans for undergoing vocational training. All such students will