Project Shishu ensures no Covid orphaned child in Jharkhand goes to orphanage

Around 1300 children, who were orphaned or lost bread earners in their families during the Covid pandemic in Jharkhand, were not forced to take shelter in any orphanage.

Thanks to Project Shishu, rolled out by the Jharkhand Legal Services Authority (JHALSA) in May last year, these children, identified and documented by the JHALSA through the district legal services authorities (DLSAs) are being shepherded by one of their kin and continuing their education in various schools across the State.

Under the project, one of its kind in the country and conceptualized by JHALSA Executive Chairman Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, a child who lost either of his/her parents or both the parents get Rs 2000 every month from the State Government. They will be given this assistance till they achieve 18 years of age.

As per the project, the district affiliates of JHALSA act as a bridge to ensure that government schemes meant for children are implemented properly.  JHALSA and its district units also identified such children through its network and connected them with the government programmes.

The JHALSA monitors the health and education status of every child and seeks a report from the State government every three months.

According to Justice Aparesh Kuamr Singh, the project overwhelmed the Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) so much so that the coal company also joined hands with the JHALSA and gave scholarships to 180 such children in their command areas.

The CCL signed an MOU with the JHALSA in March last and is giving scholarships ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 to 180 orphaned children.

The Coal company has offered the scholarship for the next two years and assured to extend it further till they achieve 18 years. It had also offered the JHALSA to go beyond its command areas to offer the scholarships to such children.

20 such children will be given scholarships by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana tomorrow at a function in Jharkhand Judicial Academy.

Justice Singh said the DLSAs have regularly coordinated with different government bodies to ensure their proper care, schooling and all other needs of such children like, for instance, keeping them in under care with their extended family members.

“They have been linked with at least nine to ten government sponsored projects like Ayushman Bharat, Annapurna Yojana, Ujjwala scheme, power connections, PM Awas Yojana among others. The eligibles in their families have got old age pension, widow pension and compensation under the labour act too,” he pointed out.

Several girls have been admitted in Kasturba Girls school under the scheme. “I visited three of them in Bundu school recently and found that they are doing well,” he pointed out.

Notably, Justice Singh had visited several remote areas of the State during the Covid pandemic to get first hand information about these kids and ensure all support from the State Government under the State legal services act.