237 Children in Gujarat's Rajkot Lost One or Both Parents to Covid-19

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237 Children in Gujarat's Rajkot Lost One or Both Parents to Covid-19

Ahmedabad: At least 237 children in Gujarat's Rajkot district lost either one or both their parents to coronavirus infection, officials said. Most of the deaths took place in the second wave of COVID-19, the district child protection office said in a release issued on Wednesday, adding that it was still receiving applications from the affected children to avail government benefits.

The children who have lost both their parents will be given benefits under the recently announced 'Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana'. They will get Rs 4,000 per month till they turn 18, it said.

If they continue studies after the age of 18, they will get an assistance of Rs 6,000 per month till they turn 21, said the release. While 193 children in Rajkot lost one parent to the viral infection, 44 lost both their parents, as per the data shared by the district child protection office. Among those who lost both their parents, three are in the age group of 0 to 5, 11 are between 6 and 10 years of age, and 30 in the age group of 11 to 18. Their applications for availing benefits under the government scheme have been accepted, the release said.