200 children orphaned since pandemic outbreak in Uttar Pradesh alone, says head of state child rights panel

MEERUT: At least 200 children were orphaned after both their parents died due to Covid since March 2020, Vishesh Gupta, chairperson of state commission for protection of child rights said. “We are still in the process of collecting data from the district and the numbers might increase in the final tally,” Gupta told TOI.
TOI had earlier reported that the pandemic had left 101 children in UP orphaned while it had robbed 454 kids of one parent.
According to the updated data from nine districts of Meerut zone, a total of 68 children were orphaned with a maximum of 18 such cases from Saharanpur and 13 from Ghaziabad.
In compliance with the apex court directive to states to furnish details of children orphaned or having lost earning parents during the pandemic and efforts made for their rehabilitation, UP has begun compiling a list. Apart from the orphaned ones, over 1,300 destitute children, having lost an earning parent, have been identified.
“If such children want to stay with their families, compensation will be credited to the account of the family member or the legal guardian. Child protection committees and the probation officer in the respective district will monitor the process,” Gupta said.
The state government, on Saturday, announced a scheme for such orphaned and destitute children. As per the provisions, a sum of Rs 4,000 will be given to parents or legal guardians of the children. For orphaned children below the age of 10, arrangements of rehabilitation will be made at the five state-run infant homes.
Experts feel that orphan children are most vulnerable to child trafficking and sexual abuse and should be rehabilitated on priority. “If such children are staying with their relatives, they are vulnerable to sexual abuse and child trafficking. If the child is an infant, the relatives might give them up for adoption in exchange of money,” Anita Rana, a child welfare committee member in Meerut, said.
Meanwhile, according to the information available with the Union ministry of women and child development (WCD), states across the country reported as many as 577 children lost both of their parents to Covid-19 during the second wave of the ongoing pandemic since April.