Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said that many children have lost their parents during the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic and the state government is committed to improving the lives of such children.
"All such children are the responsibility of Madhya Pradesh. The Government of Madhya Pradesh is committed to improving the lives of these children orphaned by the pandemic. We need to give them a bright future and light their lamp of happiness by extending a loving hand and making their Diwali special again," said Mr Chouhan today.
The Chief Minister has appealed to the people of the state to celebrate this Diwali with such children in their neighbourhoods. He informed that other than meeting their everyday needs through the Mukhyamantri Covid Bal Seva Yojana created during the Corona period, the government is also funding the education of such children.
Mr Chouhan said, "While nobody can take the place of your parents in your lives, your uncle Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be with you in every step of the way to fulfil the dreams your parents had seen for you."
During COVID-19 in the state, many children were orphaned due to the death of their parents and in most of the cases, no help was available for their care and protection. Many relatives were also not ready to take care of such children due to financial difficulties. In such a situation, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took responsibility for the orphaned children and pioneered the Mukhyamantri Covid-19 Bal Seva Yojana.
In the Mukhyamantri Covid-19 Bal Seva Yojana, along with financial assistance, a provision has been made to provide free education and free ration to the children who lost their parents during the Corona pandemic.
Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan has decided to celebrate Deepawali, on November 4, with the beneficiary children of Mukhyamantri Covid Bal Seva Yojna. The celebration will host a special Deepotsav which will be held at the Chief Minister's residence at 12.30 pm.
The Chief Minister will have food with 53 orphaned children from Bhopal, Sehore, Raisen, Vidisha, Rajgarh and Hoshangabad districts and celebrate Diwali by distributing sweets to them. Chief Minister Chouhan will also provide a tour of the Chief Minister's residence to these beneficiaries.
On the occasion of Diwali, the Chief Minister will address the beneficiary children of the Mukhyamantri Covid-19 Bal Seva Yojana from all the districts of the state, who will participate via NIC. In all the districts, on behalf of Chief Minister Chouhan, Diwali sweets will be distributed by the district collectors to the beneficiary children.
About 1052 applications were received under Mukhyamantri Covid-19 Bal Seva Yojana, out of which 945 applications were approved and another 1365 orphan children are being provided with benefits.
On this momentous occasion, Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan said that "All festivals spread the message of love and happiness and sharing of sorrows. The Indian culture ties us into one family unit through the message of humanity, public welfare, and fraternity. We must share our happiness even with those families who have lost their loved ones and have struggled through these difficult times. We must work to illuminate their homes with happiness."
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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