Children whose parents died of COVID-19 will get free education and a monthly pension of Rs 5,000 from the Madhya Pradesh government, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Thursday.

The CM promised that those who lost earning members of their families as a result of the pandemic would be taken care of by his administration.

Chouhan said in a statement to the media that the state government would also act as a guarantor for those seeking interest-free loans to launch companies.

He commented: “We will provide education free of cost to the children who have lost their parents. They will be provided free ration even if they are not eligible for it.”

The COVID-19 pandemic, he said, has wreaked havoc on many families. Children have lost their guardians, and the elderly have been left alone since those who were caring for them died as a result of the viral infection.

“Our government will help such children and families and provide them with a monthly pension of Rs 5,000,” Chouhan said.

Many elderly people, he said, have lost their children. They have no one to look after them and are having difficulty surviving. He added that such persons should not be left alone, claiming that they now the responsibility of the Madhya Pradesh government.

MP, according to Home Minister Narottam Mishra, is the first state in the world to launch such a programme for children and the elderly whose relatives died in the pandemic.

According to the state health department, Madhya Pradesh announced 8,970 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, with 84 deaths, bringing the total number of infections to 7,00,202 and the death toll to 6,679, bringing the total number of infections to 7,00,202 and the total number of deaths to 6,679, respectively.

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