State ready with district-wise Covid orphan data to offer aid

kolkata: The state Women and Child Development and Social Welfare department has already prepared a district-wise database of the COVID orphans across the state and started providing assistance in terms of education, counseling, nutrition and similar needs.

"We are exploring all possible avenues of support to them and have started linkages of these children below the age of 18 years, who have lost both his/ her parents or one of his/ her parents due to COVID-19 to different schemes of the government for the children so that they can derive benefits of the same," Shashi Panja, Minister for Women and Child Development & Social Welfare said on the sidelines of a programme on women empowerment - "New Era in Women Entrepreneurship:- Strategic and Next Gen Business Skills in the New Normal" organised by The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

A senior official of the department said there had been instances when a child had landed in trouble like financial constraints, inability to bear expenses of school, psychological stress, lack of nutrition, sexual abuse or similar other problems because of the misfortune that had befallen.

"We are trying our best to support them through our district social welfare in the respective districts," the official said. At the event, women entrepreneurs, who had handled the pandemic situation successfully, were felicitated for their contributions.