The Maharashtra government will be more compassionate towards orphans, women and child welfare minister Aditi Tatkare assured the legislative council on Thursday while replying to discussion over the issue of orphans of over 18 years of age initiated by BJP MLC Shrikant Bhartiya.
Orphans can stay at the orphanages only till the age of 18. What after 18, is a very sensitive issue for them. The state government has surveyed such orphans and issued certificates to 5,547 of a total of 6,391 such orphans. Remaining certificates will be given in a couple of months.
Government's plan for helping out orphans
The state has granted a 1 percent quota for them, and 96 of such orphans have already been inducted in the state government services. State government bears the cost of their higher education from the juvenile justice funds of the higher education department; 500 of them have been given yellow ration cards and they will also be eligible to avail benefits of MPJAY.
7 maintenance houses for orphans
The state has already built seven maintenance houses with a capacity of 650 and one of them is for women. At orphanages they are given counselling. The same facility will be made available to them even after the age of 18, Tatkare told the House.
Deputy Chairperson of the House Dr Neelam Gorhe then said that the issue is very vast and it needs inputs from skill development, higher education and social justice departments. She also suggested that the Woman and Child Welfare Department should take the lead to call a meeting of all these departments over this issue and resolve the problems that the orphans are facing.
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