The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Monday approved a proposal to provide an aid of Rs 2,500 per month under the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Bal Seva Yojana (general) to children below 18 years who lost their parents due to reasons other than COVID-19.

The Cabinet also decided that monetary help will be provided to adults between 18 to 23 years who have lost their parents or guardians due to COVID-19 or other reasons and are pursuing education after completing Class 12.

The cabinet approved the scheme under which children below the age of 18 years who have lost both their parents or either of the parents or a guardian due to reasons other than COVID-19 will be provided financial assistance, a government spokesman said.

Those between 18 to 23 years who have lost their parents or either of the parents due to Covid or other reasons and after completing their education up to Class 12, and pursuing education to obtain a bachelor’s degree or diploma from a government college, university or technical institution or have passed national and state-level competitive examinations like NEET, JEE, CLAT will also be eligible for getting benefit under the scheme, the spokesman said.

Those children whose mother is divorced or abandoned or whose parents or head of the family is in jail or children who have been exposed to child labour, child begging/child prostitution, besides children of families involved in begging/prostitution or who have been adjusted in the family/family environment after getting freed will also be eligible for getting assistance, he said.

Under this scheme, a maximum two children of the family falling in the category of eligibility will be provided assistance of Rs 2,500 per month per child, the spokesman said. This scheme is 100 percent funded by the state government, he added.

Keeping in view the practical difficulties faced in the implementation of the scheme, the chief minister has been authorised to make necessary amendments and changes in the scheme, the spokesman said.

The Cabinet also decided to repeal 312 obsolete and irrelevant laws and approved a draft ordinance for the purpose, he said.

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