OPS urged CM Stalin to personally intervene in the matter to ensure that children were not discriminated against and they received financial assistance as they have already lost a parent.
AIADMK Coordinator and former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has urged the state government not to discriminate against children who have lost one or both their parents to COVID-19, on the basis of income criteria while providing financial assistance. In a statement released on Monday, OPS said that all children who have been orphaned or lost one or both the parents to COVID-19 should be given financial assistance.
He said that there are certain discriminatory provisions included in the operational guidelines issued for implementing the scheme and contended that people suspect that such provisions were intended only to reduce the number of beneficiaries under the scheme. The operational guidelines issued for implementing the scheme by the Social Welfare Department mention the annual income of the parents as one of the eligibility criteria for providing benefits under the scheme. OPS said that this would lead to discrimination. In the statement, he said, “It would not be proper to consider the income criteria of the parents to decide whether the child is entitled to financial assistance for his/her education, as it decides the child’s future.”
He urged Chief Minister Stalin to personally intervene in the matter to ensure that children were not discriminated against and they received financial assistance as they have already lost a parent. Further, the guidelines of the scheme states that if one or both the deceased parents were either government, quasi-governmental or Public Sector Undertaking employees, the children are not eligible for assistance. OPS insisted the government remove this and avoid consideration of financial assistance based on income of parents.
Under the scheme announced by the state government last month, a deposit of Rs 5 lakh will be made in the name of children who had lost both the parents. The deposit will be made along with accrued interest when the child turns 18 years of age. The guidelines of the scheme further added that if the child lost one parent to COVID-19, a sum of Rs 3 lakh will be granted to the other parent provided that the child qualifies all other eligibility criteria.
Source: The News Minute