Tripura CM announces free education for children orphaned due to COVID-19

Amid the unprecedented second wave of coronavirus across the country, the Tripura government on Saturday decided to provide free education to children who lost their parents due to COVID-19. The state government will also provide Rs 3,500 every month till the age of 18 to those who do not live in orphanages.

While announcing this, Chief Minister Biplab Deb said, "Tripura government will provide free education to the children who lose their parents due to COVID-19. Such children who do not live in orphanages will be provided Rs 3,500 every month till the age of 18."

He added, "After completion of Matriculation (Class-10 board exam), the government would provide these children with either a laptop or a tablet to access the internet for their educational purpose."

Other states like Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, and even Delhi, have introduced schemes to help the children who lost their parents to COVID-19.

COVID In Tripura 

Tripura registered 13 more deaths due to COVID-19, the highest so far in a single day, pushing the toll to 495, a health department bulletin said on Saturday. The COVID-19 caseload in the northeastern state rose to 49,290 as 783 more people tested positive for the coronavirus infection in the last 24 hours, it said.

West Tripura district reported the maximum number of fresh cases at 378, followed by South Tripura at 110, Unokoti at 73, and Gomati at 62. The remaining new cases were recorded in several other districts. Meanwhile, the Tripura government has decided to launch a 'mass testing drive' from Sunday in Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) area and formed 12 teams of health workers and officials to carry out the exercise, an official said.

(With Agency Inputs)