Orphaned children hail Rs 10 lakh sop for Covid-hit
Thanking state and Central governments for Rs 10 lakh each as FD in the name of children, he said it will be useful for higher education
Nellore: She lost her mother to Covid-19 in May this year. Her father had died in an accident in 2015. These tragedies have not dented the determination of 13-year-old Usha (name changed) to become a teacher. That was the dream of her mother, Kavitha.
Usha is among the children who was orphaned by Covid-19 and are now getting the Rs 10 lakh compensation being provided by the state government. Usha is a Class VIII student of Gurukul School at Sangam, while her brother Ravi (name changed), seven, is studying Class VII. Inspired by his sister, Ravi has set a goal: To become a police officer to protect the people.
When they lost their mother, a close relative, M. Penchalaiah, took Usha and Ravi in.
“Kavitha is the younger sister of my wife, and the couple used to work in farms. We were taking care of Kavitha and the children after the death of her husband Sai. We don’t have children and we will ensure that the kids do not feel the loss of their parents,” Penchalaiah told this correspondent.
Thanking the state and Central governments for providing Rs 10 lakh each as fixed deposit in the name of children, he said it is a cushion and will be useful for their higher education.
Another child who faced a terrible tragedy was Pavani, 17 (name changed). She lost her parents and her brother to Covid-19 within two months.
A second-year Intermediate student, Pavani and her parents tested positive on April 17 this year. Her brother Mahesh Babu, 20, tested negative but suddenly took ill and died at home on April 20.
Her mother Siva Bathhemma breathed her last at SVIMS in Tirupati on April 28 while her father Masthanaiah died at Medicover Hospital in Nellore on May 4.
Pavani is recovering under the care of her uncle Peta Nagur Babu, her father’s younger brother, at Hyderabad.
Speaking to this correspondent, Pavani said she was preparing for NEET and her goal was to become a cardiologist. She said she was overcoming the tragedy with the help of family members and good friends in Hyderabad.
Nagur Babu, principal in a private school, has two school-going sons and said Pavani was not a burden.
Hailing the state government and Centre for offering financial aid to Covid-19 orphans, he praised AP Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for the monetary support and said it is an inspiration for all states.