Bhubaneswar: As many as 4,301 children were orphaned, losing both parents due to COVID-19 across India over the last two years. Out of them, 108 children are from Odisha, a written reply by Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani stated.
As on March 14, total 8973 applications have been uploaded on the PM CARES portal out of which, 4302 applications have been approved by District Magistrates after due process.
PM CARES for Children scheme to support children who have lost both parents or surviving parent or legal guardian or adoptive parents due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Irani’s reply revealed that out of 108 children who were orphaned in Odisha, 53 are boys while 55 are girls. In the age group of 0 to 6 years, eight children lost their parents, while in the age group of 6-14 years, 51 children were orhpaned.
Similarly, 3 teenagers and youths in the age group of 18-23 lost both their parents to the deadly COVID-19 in Odisha, it stated.
The maximum cases were reported from Maharashtra (776), Andhra Pradesh (351), Madhya Pradesh (426), Gujarat (223), Karnataka (216), Tamil Nadu (389), Telangana (256) and Uttar Pradesh (444).
