Following directives of the Supreme Court, sub-ordinate judiciary in Jharkhand has taken a lead in extending assistance to COVID orphans. A team of judicial officers led by the Chairman of Jharkhand Legal Service Authority and sitting Judge of Ranchi High Court, Justice Amresh Kumar Singh, extended financial assistance to four COVID orphans in a village in Gumla district, 500 kms from Patna.
Justice Amresh Kumar Singh, took Suo moto cognizance of the plight of the four children who lost their parents in the on-going second wave of Covid-19 and with district officials visited Chundari village under Ghaghra block. Judges met the children and handed over cheques of Rs 10,000 to each on behalf of the Legal Authority and Rs 6,000 more on behalf of the social welfare department.
Vandana Singh, wife of Justice Singh, gifted clothes and sweets to the four children whose father, Soma Oraon and mother, Karmi Oraon lost their lives to the deadly virus last month.
They promised under the project-Shishu, legal authority would meet the expenses of their education with assistance from the social welfare department. High Court judges assured Khetwa Oraon, grand father of the orphaned children, accommodation under the PM Housing scheme and old age pension.
Mohammad Shakir, secretary of the Legal authority said, "the members of the authority would monitor proper care and schooling. A team of para legal volunteers would find out more orphans who lost their parents to the Coronavirus and extend help".
The Jharkhand Legal Services Authority would work for rehabilitation of the COVID orphans and act as a bridge between the children and the social welfare department.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has identified 1742 COVID orphans in the country, while 7,464 children lost at least one parent to the virus.
