Jaipur, May 13 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has decided to exempt the annual renewal of membership under the Palanhar Yojana in view of the adverse circumstances arising due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Palanhar Yojana is a monthly cash transfer programme that aims to nurture, educate and provide healthcare to orphans and other vulnerable children in a family setting.

In order to get assistance under the programme, beneficiary children have to do annual renewal every academic session.

"For the payment of assistance up to June 2021 to the children benefiting under the Palanhar Yojana, it has been decided to exempt from mandatory renewal for 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic," the chief minister said in a statement.

The programme is available for all children under the age of 18 years who have lost either one or both parents, or whose parents fall into any of the following categories -- divorced, abandoned or suffering from HIV /AIDS, leprosy or disability.

Under the scheme, Rs 500 per month is provided to children up to 6 years of age and Rs 1,000 per month to children between 6 and 18 years.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)