50 orphans from 18 dists to avail of PM CARES scheme

Ranchi: Namkum resident Amrita Kacchap (15) had lost her mother Elisabah (45) to an illness in 2019. Amrita and her younger brother became orphans after their father Bhola (50) died of Covid-19 in 2020.
Amrita’s dream of becoming a nurse seemed distant as she began working as a domestic help to fend for her brother and herself. But she appeared for matriculation exams from JAC.
On Monday, she was selected for the Centre’s PM CARES for Children scholarship programme for those who lost their parents to Covid-19 between March 11, 2020 and February 28, 2022.Amrita is among the 50 kids from 18 districts who have been selected. She was picked for the scheme by district social welfare officer Paltu Mahto.
Amrita shared her ordeal with PM Narendra Modi via video-conferencing from the Ranchi collectorate building.
Virendra Kumar, the child protection officer of the child welfare committee (CWC), Lohardaga, said, “The children will be helped financially for their higher studies. They will be provided with books and uniforms and will get Rs 4,000/month as stipend till they turn 23.”
Thereafter, they will get Rs 10 lakh and will be covered under the Ayushman healthcare scheme, he added.