Providing food, clothing, education, financial assistance to orphans: AAP govt to Delhi HC

The AAP government on Thursday told the Delhi High Court it was providing food, clothing, medical care, education and financial assistance under various schemes to orphans in the national capital.

The Delhi government said it was also providing the orphans career guidance, ensured job placements, created Aadhaar cards, opened bank accounts for them and also provide Rs 30,000 as financial assistance to the orphan girls, their guardians or foster parents for their marriage.

The submissions were made before a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan during hearing of a PIL seeking a detailed scheme for the education, living and other prospects of life for orphans, who are suffering due to lack of governmental policies for them in the COVID 19 pandemic.

Taking note of the submissions, the bench directed the Delhi government to provide district-wise data, including names of the children, of the number of recipients of the various welfare measures and schemes highlighted by the government.

The high court said the data would help it to verify whether what the Delhi government has claimed to have done has been implemented at the ground level and whether benefits of the various schemes were percolating down to those it was meant for.

With the direction, the bench listed the matter for hearing on July 17. During the hearing, the Centre said it was providing assistance to the states under its child welfare scheme. It said it will give the details before the next date of hearing.

The petition filed by Harpal Singh Rana has said he sought the information through Right to Information (RTI) Act for the welfare schemes introduced by the government for the welfare, education, living arrangement of the orphan children.

He has said the information which he received has variation in respect of the orphan children. The plea, filed through advocate Akhil Rana, has referred to 3-4 cases where children who had lost their parents and are living with grandparents and depend on them.

It said there was a child, whose parents died and has six siblings, had applied to the Social Welfare Department which told him that the department only provides old age pension, disabled pension and financial assistance (Delhi Family Benefit Scheme).

Even the Women and Child Development Department replied to the child that since he does not fall within the eligibility rules and regulations of its schemes, he was not entitled to get any benefit, the petition claimed.

"In such cases grandparents or other relatives who are residing/ taking care of those children face a great difficulty to maintain or to educate the children due to non-availability of funds with them,” it has said.

It has also said, "It is surprising that respondents (authorities) are providing pensions to the old citizens and window women but they have no schemes and projects for these children who have lost their parents and are unable/ incapable to earn their livelihood.”

(Photo Credit: PTI)