In a recent advancement, the Delhi High Court has directed the city govt to fasten the relief process for children who have lost their parents to Covid-19. On August 23, the Delhi High Court observed that the city administration has to find a solution to hasten the delivery of relief schemes for the beneficiaries.
“It would be unfair to expect children who lost their parents to be able to procure documents and to avail benefits which they are entitled to,” pronounced the bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh.
According to the status report filed by the Department of Women and Child Development and the Department of Social Welfare, nearly 6,200 children have lost one parent and a total of 292 left orphaned due to Covid-19.
Because the schemes are being framed to provide aid to the covid affected children, hence there is no need to take the implementation in a routine manner, observed the bench.
This came after advocate Prabhsahay Kaur, representing Bachpan Bachao Andalon, put forward that even though many schemes were designed after April this year, the ground implementation is still on hold. She also illuminated the case of one family containing seven children, who lost both parents to the deadly infection this year.
“Of the seven children, the eldest is 23 while the youngest is just four. There are five minors in the family. Although they are provided with basic needs, ration and school books, they still need proper care and support for sustenance,” she continued.
Ms Kaur said that it is impossible for the children to frequently reach out to the committee for their daily needs such as milk and ration. During the hearing, senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing the Delhi govt, advanced that there was a delay in document verification which is the reason behind the postponement of the implementation of welfare schemes.
