Hry govt adopts 16-yr-old specially abled boy who lost parents to Covid, others alike

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced on Sunday that the state government has adopted a 16-year-old specially abled boy in Gurugram who lost his parents to Covid-19

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced on Sunday that the state government has adopted a 16-year-old specially abled boy in Gurugram who lost his parents to Covid-19.

HT Image

During a surprise visit to a child shelter home, Deep Ashram, in Gurugram on Sunday, CM Khattar was apprised that earlier the boy was adopted by a Faridabad-based couple when he was a child, but his parents died of Covid-19 recently. The boy’s father died of Covid-19 on May 14, while his mother died of the virus on May 21.

After learning about the boy’s condition, the CM decided to adopt him.

“I learnt about this boy through party workers, that he lost both this parents to Covid-19 recently. He was adopted by them when he was a child. He has been orphaned once again... Now, the Haryana government will take care of his upbringing, and others who lost their parents to Covid-19 and are living at Deep Ashram shelter home. All of them have lost their parents to Covid-19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also planned to take care of such children till the age of 23 years, through PM Cares Fund,” said Khattar.

Upasana Sachdeva, a member of child welfare committee (CWC) in Gurugram, said that both the CWC and the district administration have launched helpline numbers to gather information such children. On Friday, the district administration issued helpline numbers: 0124-2328288, 9717846669, and 8700454307 where people can share information about such children. The administration will provide lodging facilities to such children at Children’s Home in Sector 15, till further arrangements are being made.

“At present, we have five children who lost their parents to Covid-19 in the past two months,and are staying at three shelter homes in the district, who have lost their parents to Covid-19 in the past few months. We have released helpline numbers where either neighbours or guardians of such children are informing us, if they are not able to take care of them. Firstly, we take these children to shelter homes where they are kept for a minimum of three months, after which the next course of action is being decided,” said Sachdeva.

She added that Gurugram, at present, can provide shelter to 100 such orphans for which staff recruitments are also being done, so that the children are taken care off.