PANAJI
The Mission Vatsalya Scheme – a Central scheme that aims at providing support to beneficiaries in child care institutions including orphans - has surprisingly witnessed a drastic decline in Goa over the past three years.
According to data tabled by Union Minister for Women & Child Development Smriti Irani in the Lok Sabha on Friday, the total number of beneficiaries saw a declining trend in the State along with a few others such as Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
From 798 beneficiaries in Goa in the fiscal year 2020-21, the figures dropped to 685 in 2021-22 and to 526 in 2022-23; as per the data in reply to a question on the total number of orphan children reported in each state.
With the decrease in number, the funds allocated for the welfare of these orphan children also reduced from Rs 129.9 lakhs in 2020-21 to 3.43 lakhs in 2021-22 and Rs 5.77 lakhs in 2022-23.
Meanwhile, the number of orphans supported under non-institutional care of the scheme doubled last financial year from 13 each in 2020-21 and 2021-22 to 27 in 2022-23.
The Ministry is implementing Mission Vatsalya Scheme (erstwhile Child Protection Services Scheme) through State and Union Territory governments for care, protection, rehabilitation and reintegration of children in difficult circumstances including orphans on a predefined cost-sharing basis between the Central and the State Governments.
Such children have access to both institutional and non-institutional care as per the Individual Care Plan (ICP) as mandated by JJ Act, 2015 (amended in 2021). Child Care Institutions provide and/or support boarding and lodging, age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counseling etc.
