Rajasthan CM celebrates Deepavali with children orphaned during COVID-19

The cycle of happiness and sorrow also continues. We must move forward and work tirelessly to achieve our goals, Gehlot tells them

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot celebrated Deepavali on Friday with more than 200 children orphaned during the CVID-19 pandemic while affirming that the State government would support them in their struggle to choose their careers and achieve goals. Mr. Gehlot hosted a lunch for the children at his residence here and presented gifts to them.

The State government has provided financial assistance worth ₹2.99 crore to 231 children who lost their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic and has also spent ₹8.62 crore on the children of 8,320 women who lost their husbands. Mr. Gehlot interacted with the children and enquired about their condition in the post-COVID period.

“Challenges keep coming in life... The cycle of happiness and sorrow also continues. We must move forward and work tirelessly to achieve our goals,” Mr. Gehlot said while talking to them. The children, most of whom have recovered from the trauma of losing their parents, had arrived from several districts and were introduced to the Chief Minister.

Mr. Gehlot and his wife Sunita struck a chord with the youngsters, who included minors and adolescents. There were some emotional moments too as the children narrated their stories and shared their feelings. The children also presented cultural performances and played soccer ball games and shot at balloons.

While the children and their guardians expressed gratitude for the assistance being provided by the State government, Mr. Gehlot instructed the officers to make fresh Janaadhar cards for orphaned children to enable them to get the benefit of all schemes on time and resolve the difficulties being faced by them.

The Supreme Court had on October 14 directed the Rajasthan government to pay ex-gratia assistance to all the children orphaned during the pandemic within three weeks. The State government had submitted to the apex court that it had made the payment to 191 children after examining 718 applications received and uploaded on Bal Swaraj portal.