Correct Answer : Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday (3rd Oct 2023) launched the “Mukhyamantri Sukh Ashraya Yojana” from the Ridge Shimla, aiming to provide comprehensive support to orphans, specially-abled children, destitute women, and elderly people in the state.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that a thought always came to his mind as how to serve the most vulnerable section of the society and those who really needed to be taken care of and looked after by the government.
“In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, the state government took a decision to adopt the orphans, the specially-abled children as the ‘children of the state’ and work for their upliftment and well being, giving them all parental care, besides taking care of the destitute women and elderly who have no one to look after,” he said.
Sukhu said that despite facing financial challenges and the recent disaster that struck Himachal Pradesh, the state government started this scheme.
The chief minister also distributed financial benefits worth ₹4.68 crore to eligible children which includes ₹15.52 lakh for fees and other hostel expenses, along with ₹11.52 lakh as monthly expense, benefiting 48 orphaned children for pursuing higher education.
Apart from this, ₹7.02 lakh for fees and ₹4.08 lakh for monthly expenses were also distributed to 17 orphaned children enrolled in few professional courses.
He also transferred financial benefits to 1,106 beneficiaries through foster care and sponsorship, amounting to ₹2.65 crore.
Besides this, 30 meritorious Class 12 students from child care institutes, who had excelled in Class 10, were provided laptops. In the second phase of the initiative, 268 students from classes 10 and 12 classes will be given laptops.
He also allocated ₹6 lakh to three beneficiaries for the establishment of small and micro-industries.
The chief minister said that under the Sukh Ashraya Yojana, approximately 2,700 identified orphans living with relatives will also get monthly financial assistance of ₹4,000 until the age of 27 years.
“The Government is committed to protect the interests of such vulnerable children, and has made a provision for a nurse for each child requiring motherly care and also a matron for every three children to care and nurture them,” said Sukhu.
Besides, the scheme also incorporates a 15-day educational tour annually for the orphan children, and their stay in three-star hotels. The air travel and all other expenses will be borne by the government. He said that these rights, as granted to orphan children, were not merely for the sake of mercy, but now it was a law to protect their rights.
Under the scheme, the beneficiaries will also receive ₹10,000 as apparel allowances, ₹500 as festival grant and a marriage grant of ₹2 lakh. For higher education, children are eligible for financial assistance of up to ₹1 lakh and a monthly pocket money of ₹4,000.
Grants of ₹2 lakh will be provided to support orphan children in establishing small or micro-industries for self-employment, he added.
For construction of a house, the landless orphaned children will be provided financial assistance of ₹3 lakh and additionally three biswa of land in rural areas and two biswa in urban areas.
Source : Hindustan Times
