Orphans of communal violence provided with financial assistance in Manipur
Imphal: The National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India is implementing a flagship scheme to assist the orphans suffering from the ongoing communal violence in this strife-torn state.
The financial assistance being provided under the project assistance is being given following the reports of 76 orphaned children living with extended families in Manipur.
A total of 121 orphaned children have been relocated to children’s homes.
In an official notification issued by Hanjabam Bobby Sharma, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Bishnupur district of Manipur government financial assistance is being provided to children who are rendered orphan or destitute in the communal, caste, ethnic, or terrorist acts of violence for their care, education and training.
All willing children fulfilling the under-mentioned eligibility criteria may apply for the said scheme at the earliest to the concerned authority of the state government.
A child should be an orphan or destitute either both parents or the surviving parent or the man breadwinner of the family has died or has become permanently incapacitated due to communal, caste ethnic, or terrorist outbreaks of violence, the notification states.
The annual income of the victim's family should not exceed Rs. 2 lakh. The child should not be receiving any assistance regularly from other sources.
The assistance is admissible up to the age of 25 years. However, if the child fails to upgrade to the next class for more than three consecutive years, he/she will not be eligible for the continuance of assistance.
Notably, the ethnic violence in Manipur has displaced around 15,000 schoolchildren.
Around 93 per cent of the displaced children have been admitted to the nearest school free of cost. The violence has also displaced more than 61,000 people from their homes. The worst affected districts are Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Churachandpur, and Kangpokpi.