Fatehgarh Sahib, May 21 : Under the leadership of Deputy Commissioner Dr. Sona Thind, the Sponsorship and Foster Care Approval Committee has approved financial assistance of ₹4,000 per month for 89 eligible cases out of the applications received. While presiding over the committee meeting, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Sona Thind stated that with the approval of these new cases, the total number of children receiving this benefit in the district has reached 585, making Fatehgarh Sahib second in the state in this regard.
The Deputy Commissioner explained that this scheme benefits children up to the age of 18 who meet certain criteria—such as having a widowed or divorced mother, parents suffering from life-threatening or serious illnesses, parents who are physically unable to care for the child, parents in jail, or children who fall under the care and protection category as per the Juvenile Justice Act 2015. This includes homeless children, those affected by natural disasters, child laborers, beggars, victims of child marriage, street-dwelling children, victims of any form of abuse, HIV/AIDS-affected children, and those covered under the PM CARES for Children scheme.
During the meeting, District Child Protection Officer Harbhajan Singh Mehmi shared that, as per the scheme’s guidelines, the annual income of the family must be less than ₹72,000 in rural areas and less than ₹96,000 in urban areas.
Also present at the meeting were Child Welfare Committee Chairman Anil Gupta, Protection Officer Neha Singla, and social worker Rajni Bala.
Summary:
Deputy Commissioner announced that 585 children in the district receive ₹4,000 per month through the sponsorship scheme to support their welfare and education.