A 10-month-old child, who lost her parents in the flash floods triggered by the cloudburst in Mandi district, has been enrolled as a “child of the state” under the Chief Minister Sukh-Aashray Yojana of the Himachal Pradesh government, a senior official Saturday said.
The infant, Neetika, was orphaned after a cloudburst struck Talwara gram panchayat in Chachyot Tehsil in the night of June 30. Her father Ramesh Kumar (31) died, while her mother Radha Devi (24) and grandmother Purnu Devi (59) are still missing. Ramesh had stepped out to divert the flow of water entering the house, while his wife and mother followed to help. They never returned. The infant was found crying in the house by a neighbour.
Deputy Commissioner Apoorv Devgan said that following the directions of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, children orphaned during the disaster are being ensured the benefits of the welfare schemes. Under Sukh-Aashray Yojana, Neetika will receive Rs 4,000 per month from the government. For the months of July and August, Rs 8,000 has already been sanctioned and credited to her savings bank account. This support will continue until she turns 27 years old.
Earlier, following ‘Shudi’ rituals on the 13th day of the family’s death, the relatives decided that Neetika will be raised by her aunt Kirna Devi, who already has a son and lives in Shikauri village, about 20 kilometres away from Talwara. With several people coming forward to help the infant, two bank accounts were opened in her name in the Himachal Co-operative Bank and Punjab National Bank. The money deposited in these accounts will be reserved for her education and she can access it when she turns 18, officials had earlier said, adding that the child has also been offered admission in Sainik School after Class 6.
The DC, meanwhile, said that children who lost their loved ones in the natural disaster are being provided support through the welfare schemes. Under the Sukh-Aashray Yojana, these children will receive the compassionate care of the State, with the government stepping in as both “mother and father.” Their future will be secured through education under the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana.
Devgan said that five children from two families in Karsog’s Sanarli gram panchayat have been enrolled under the Shiksha Yojana. Lalit Kumar of Bhutti village under the same panchayat died in the disaster, and his three children will receive Rs 1,000 each per month for their education. They include his daughters Kritika Verma (14), Anshika (10), and eight-month-old son Raghav Thakur. Similarly, Jeet Ram of Surmu village, also under the same panchayat, also lost his life in the disaster. His two sons, Paramjeet (15) and Ranjit (12), have also been enrolled in the scheme. Each eligible beneficiary has already been provided Rs 2,000 for the months of July and August. This financial support will continue until they reach 18 years of age and will be deposited in a joint bank account with their mother, the DC said.
The DC said that eight such eligible cases have been identified in the Seraj region, and the process of completing the required documentation is ongoing.
