Scholarships For Students, Monthly Rs 1000 For Families Who Lost Their Bread Earners
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha on Wednesday rolled out a special scheme that offers scholarship to school and college students hit by pandemic besides financial assistance to families who have lost their sole bread earner due to Coronavirus disease.
‘Special Assistance Scheme for COVID Mortalities – SASCM’, was rolled out by LG on Wednesday by handing over the grant of Scholarship and Pension certificates to the children and the members of the families affected due to coronavirus.
“J&K government is committed to support children who lost their parents in this pandemic. The administration as a guardian will take all necessary steps for their well-being and education, so they can have a bright future,” Sinha said, as per an official spokesperson.
“We stand in solidarity with the families who lost the earning member due to the pandemic. Besides pension, every effort will be made to ensure they live a dignified life and have no financial difficulties,” he added.
Under the scheme, the official spokesperson said a cash assistance of Rs 1000 per month shall be provided to spouse and the eldest member of the family. Apart from this, the scheme provides for a scholarship of Rs 20,000 per annum for school going students and Rs 40,000 per annum for college going students.
He further said that a family in distress shall be eligible for scholarship for two children, if they are not getting any other scholarship. Besides, the benefits of all the other social welfare schemes, including pensions, etc will be extended to the families.
“It is our duty and utmost responsibility to support families, restore livelihoods and ensure stability in their life,” the LG said, as per official spokesperson.
“For extending handholding to the affected families, a special cell has been constituted in the Social Welfare Department to track and facilitate benefits under existing government sponsored welfare schemes which the family may be eligible for,” he added.
According to the official spokesperson, Sinha remarked that the administration will reach out to every affected family with financial assistance if they are willing to start their own business or other venture for self-employment, besides imparting training and providing market linkages to them.
He said all Deputy Commissioners and officials of the Social Welfare department were directed to identify the families who have lost their loved ones due to Covid, so that social protection and other necessary support can be extended to them. The LG, he said, also directed the District Social Welfare Officers to pay regular visits to such families in their respective areas in order to provide round the clock support to them.
“Work with high sensitivity and double your efforts in reaching out to every affected family ensuring that no one is left behind,” Sinha, as per the spokesperson, told the officials.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also initiated a separate scheme named “PM CARES for Children” for the help and empowerment of the children affected by Corona, which will benefit the families of our UT. All the concerned officials should make sure that PM CARES benefits are extended to all the affected families,” he added.
The official spokesperson further said that the LG also appreciated the efforts of the Social Welfare Department to identify as many as 512 beneficiaries for scholarship and pensionary support and further called for 100% coverage under the scheme at the earliest.
“Simultaneously, the beneficiaries under the scheme received the Scholarship and Pension grants in various locations across the UT,” he said.
LG’s Advisor Farooq Khan, Principal Secretary Nitishwar Kumar, Chief Secretary Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang K Pole, Secretary, Social Welfare Department Sheetal Nanda, and Deputy Commissioners from all districts were present on the occasion, in person and through virtual mode.
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