From Sandeep Sharma
GUWAHATI : Assam government on Sunday announced that it will give Rs 2.5 lakh each to widows who lost their husbands to Covid-19, provided their family income is less than Rs 5 lakh.
Under the new ‘Chief Minister’s Covid-19 Widows Support Scheme’, the beneficiaries of ‘Orunodoi’ and ‘Widow Pension’ schemes are also eligible for the one-time financial assistance.
The scheme promises a one-time financial assistance of Rs. 2.5 lakh to help such widows.
“The deputy commissioner shall compile the list of eligible beneficiaries from the NHM database of Covid victims. The list will be verified keeping in mind the eligibility criteria. On verification, the money will be disbursed to the beneficiaries account,” an announcement said.
As per the scheme, the beneficiary should be a permanent resident of Assam. The beneficiary’s husband should have died with a Covid positive status at the time of death, and it should be certified by the State-level COVID Death Audit Board.
The beneficiary must belong to a low-income family having an annual income up to Rs 5 lakh. Beneficiaries of ‘Orunudoi’ and ‘Widow Pension Scheme’ are also eligible to get the benefit of this scheme.
“Many precious lives were lost due to #Covid19, leaving a number of families in distress. In our sincere effort to provide some relief to women whose husbands died of the disease, Rs 2.5 lakh will be given to such eligible widows as one time grant,” chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a tweet..
It, however, stated that widows of government servants will not be covered under this scheme as they get the family pension as per usual norms.
Any person, who meets the eligibility criteria and is not a part of the final list, can submit representation with supporting documents to the DC concerned, the scheme document stated.
