Children orphaned due to Covid-19 to be kept under shelter in Vizag

Providing rehabilitation and shelter for children who lost their parents due to Covid-19, Andhra Pradesh DGP Gautam Sawang has issued instructions to form rescue teams to identify such children. In this regard, a total of 71 children including 10 girls and 61 boys were identified and produced by the child welfare committee on Day 1. The orphaned children are now at Child Care Institution for rehabilitation and protection. Visakhapatnam City Police has formed 23 rescue teams to identify orphaned children in Vizag. These teams are being headed by Disha Police Station Prem Kajal. On Wednesday, Day 1, the teams, while following Covid-19 norms, conducted Operation Muskaan – Covid-19 with the support of the Women and Child Welfare Department from 5 am to 12 noon.

Among the identified children, there are many who lost their parents or are under quarantine. The majority of them come from lower-income groups or are children left unattended by the family members after they lost their parents or left alone when their parents tested positive. “We conducted Operation Muskaan during last year’s pandemic and found a few children. This year, we have found children who lost both parents, illegal adoption by family members, kids put under child labour and runaway children,” said DCPO, Women and Child Welfare Department, A Satyanarayana.

During Operation Muskaan, the teams found a child who lost her mother long back and her father during this year’s pandemic. She was left unattended by her family members.

Operation Muskaan continued on Thursday for Day 2 as the 23 teams rescued 54 children comprising of 12 girls and 42 boys during raids at various parts of the city like RTC Complex, between 6 AM and 12 Noon. All the rescued children were put under the care of their families or guardians after verification.

Earlier, the Andhra Pradesh State Government had set up two Child Protection Care centres under the Women and Child Welfare Department in Vizag for the orphaned children. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had also announced Rs 10 lakh to be deposited in their accounts as a fixed deposit.

For those children who have no home to take care of them while their parents are affected with Covid-19, the government has advised such families to keep their children at the Child Protection Care centre. “Anyone who finds such children can inform us by contacting the toll-free no. 181, 1098. We will come and take the children under our protection”, said Satyanarayana.