Raipur/New Delhi, Jun 14 (IANS): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday announced that the children studying in private schools, who have lost parents/guardians to COVID-19, would be provided free education by the government.

Under Mahtari Dular Yojana, the Chhattisgarh government would bear the expenses of education of such children. "Such children will have the choice to either continue their education in the same private school they have been studying for past one year or they can go for Swami Atmanand English Medium School. State Government would bear their school fees,"said Baghel.

The state government has already launched Mahtari Dular Yojna to provide free education and monthly scholarship to the children studying in government schools, who have lost their parents/guardians to COVID-19.

But now the chief minister has announced that along with the children studying in government schools, children studying in private schools will also be benefited under Mahtari Dular Yojana.

Under the scheme, students will be given a scholarship of Rs 500 per month from class 1 to 8 and Rs 1,000 per month from class 9 to 12. Regarding the implementation of Mahtari Dular Yojna, it has been informed that School Education Department would work in coordination with the Health Department and Social Welfare Department to provide benefits of this scheme to such children.

Chhattisgarh Mahtari Dular Yojana 2021 is applicable from academic session 2021-22.

The benefit of the scheme will be given to destitute children belonging to the domicile families of Chhattisgarh. Children who have lost the earning parent (mother, father or both) due to COVID-19 are eligible to avail this scheme.

The children found eligible under the scheme will be provided free education in the schools of the state. Such children will be given priority for admission in Swami Atmanand English Medium School run by the state government, and the entire expenditure of their education will be borne by the state government. In addition, monthly scholarship will also be provisioned.

On receiving the information about destitute children from any source, District Collector will forward the information to District Education Officer concerned. Besides, the students will also be able to apply directly to the District Education Officer or through their guardians.

A committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of District Education Officer to examine the applications received, in which one officer each from the Health Department and Social Welfare Department has been nominated. Approval will be given by the District Collector on the recommendation of the committee.