What steps taken to assist Covid orphans continue studies, asks Delhi HC

NEW DELHI: Delhi high court has asked the Centre and the Delhi government to inform it about the steps taken to ensure that children orphaned by Covid-19 could continue their education.

Justice Yashwant Varma took note of the Centre’s stand that last year itself, it issued a directive to all states to ensure that there was continuity in education of children who had lost one or both parents to Covid-19.

The court asked the Centre to place the letter on record and directed the Union women and child development ministry to file an affidavit on the steps taken after obtaining information from other ministries, which might have a role in ensuring that the education of such children didn’t get disrupted.

It also took stock of the progress made by the Delhi government and asked it to file another affidavit indicating if any step had been taken independently in aided or government schools for the same purpose.

Earlier, the AAP government informed the HC that Mukhyamantri Covid-19 Aarthik Sahayata Yojana had been started for providing assistance to the families of people who died in the pandemic. It said in an affidavit that there were two kinds of financial assistance under this scheme — monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 for the families that had lost their breadwinners and one-time ex gratia payment of Rs 50,000 to the families that lost a member to Covid-19.

The court was hearing a petition that sought compensation or a scheme for families who have minor children and lost the sole breadwinner due to oxygen deficiency after being infected with novel coronavirus. Filed by minor children Yasmin and Ruben Kataria through advocates Bharat Malhotra and Siddhant Sethi, the plea sought compensation or any other entitled remedy under the law for the untimely and preventable death of their father, who died due to Covid-19 and alleged “oxygen deficiency in the hospital”.