Children of Widows and Single Women Up to 27 Years to Get Rs 1,000 Monthly Pocket Money: CM Sukhu.
Shimla:
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has announced that children in the age group of 19 to 27 years covered under the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana will also receive Rs 1,000 per month as pocket money. The decision was taken during a review meeting of the Women and Child Development Department chaired by the Chief Minister.
At present, the scheme provides Rs 1,000 monthly pocket money to children of widows and single women up to the age of 18 years. The extension of the benefit is aimed at providing continued financial support to beneficiaries during higher education and helping them meet their personal expenses.
The Chief Minister directed the department to ensure that the benefits of all welfare schemes reach eligible beneficiaries without inconvenience. He also called for the development of an integrated portal for all departmental schemes to provide seamless access to benefits and improve the delivery of welfare services.
Under the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana, the state government is currently providing benefits to 21,292 beneficiaries, with a budget provision of Rs 40.29 crore for the current financial year. The scheme also provides for the state government to bear the entire cost of higher education for children of widows and single women.
Sukhu said no child in Himachal Pradesh should be deprived of education due to lack of financial resources. He also highlighted the Dr. Y.S. Parmar Vidyarthi Rin Yojana, under which meritorious students can avail loans of up to Rs 20 lakh for higher education at an interest rate of one per cent.
The Chief Minister further directed the department to make arrangements for foreign exposure visits for 50 meritorious students each from among beneficiaries of the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana and children of the state. He said the state’s resources and prosperity should benefit disadvantaged sections of society and that such children should receive their rightful opportunities.
The meeting also reviewed the proposed Indira Gandhi Matri Shishu Sankalp Yojana, which aims to ensure the availability of nutritious food in 11 districts of the state.
Sukhu assured that adequate funds would be provided for the construction of nine Child Care Institutions (CCIs) across Himachal Pradesh. He also directed the concerned authorities to expedite the construction of the Mukhyamantri Sukh-Aashray Gram Parisar at Luthan in Kangra district and complete the project by May 2027.
The Chief Minister’s directions focused on strengthening welfare delivery, expanding educational support for vulnerable children and improving opportunities for disadvantaged sections through education, exposure and institutional support.
Principal Secretary M. Sudha Devi, Secretary C.P. Verma, Director, Women and Child Development Department, Dr. Pankaj Lalit, Director, ESOMSA, Sumit Khimta, and other senior officers attended the meeting.
