Agartala, May 29 (IANS): Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Saturday announced a financial scheme - 'Mukhyamantri Balya Seva Prakalpa - for the children who lost their parents to Covid-19.

Announcing the Mukhyamantri Balya Seva Prakalpa (Chief Minister's Children Service Scheme), Deb said the government would provide Rs 3,500 per month to those children who have been orphaned by the pandemic and are staying with their close relatives, up to the age of 18 years.

"If any such children want to stay at government homes, the concerned orphanage home would bear the cost of living. The government would provide free education to them besides providing a laptop or a tab after they clear Class X exams. The government would also give Rs 50,000 to the orphan girls at the time of their marriage," the Chief Minister said.

Deb, who also holds the health and family welfare portfolios, said the state government has already announced a package of Rs 579 crore to provide various financial assistance and wages to people during the pandemic period.

Under the Rs 579 crore package, Rs 1,000 would be given as one time grant along with free food packet and some essentials to seven lakh poor families out of the state's total 9.29 lakh families. Also wage-based employment would be created under the existing rural and urban employment generation schemes, while monthly pensions under various social schemes would be given at a time for two months.

Stating that huge health infrastructure has been extended and upgraded across Tripura, the Chief Minister said that oxygen generation plants would be set up in all the eight districts of the state, while 18 such plants will be set up with funding from the National Health Mission.

Till Saturday night, Tripura recorded 49,885 Covid cases and 504 deaths. The state has a recovery rate of 86.56 per cent, while the fatality rate stands at 1.01 per cent.