At least 400 children of Jharkhand have been orphaned or have lost one of their parents due to the Covid-19 pandemic, figures compiled by the state legal service authority and the child development department indicate.

At a webinar organised on Sunday, Jharkhand Legal Services Authority (Jhalsa) said it had, with the help of district administrations, helped rehabilitate 208 children, while the state women and child development department said it had identifed 234 of these 400 children and that the process to reach out to them was still on.

Sunday's webinar was held to launch Jhalsa's Project Sushi under the aegis of which it had extended rehabilitation benefits to 208 children by way of scholarships and school enrolments.

Jharkhand HC Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan during his address at the virtual seminar by Jhalsa on Sunday. The Telegraph picture

Chief minister Hemant Soren, in his address, said that while the pandemic had indeed turned many children into orphans, but unfortunately, many children have ended up losing their parents at a tender age even at other times.

Recalling his own experience before the pandemic, he said, “I met an eight-year-old in Barhet block in my constituency two years back. He had lost both his parents. For a few months, he was being taken care of by his brother and sister-in-law but unfortunately they too died. The child had vast swathes of land, a good house but no one to take care of him, making him highly vulnerable. Eventuality, I managed to trace his nani (grandmother) with whom he is living now.”

Hemant said the state government was working out modalities to provide incentives to those who can raise orphans properly in their own village and panchayats.

A screen grab of all the attendees during the virtual seminar by Jhalsa on Sunday. The Telegraph picture

“My aim is to completely phase out the orphanage concept. Rather, my dream is to identify widows with, say, one child who can raise another child (orphan) of the same village. This will ensure that the child lives in his own native environment. We will provide financial incentives to such foster parents. I have directed the social welfare department to prepare an action plan,” he said.

He said the state government was also planning to constitute women SPOs ( special police officers) to curb trafficking, an inherent risk with such vulnerable children.

Project Sishu, a special campaign initiated by the Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority (Jhalsa), was started at the end of May to trace Covid orphans and work towards their comprehensive rehabilitation in coordination with the state government.

It was formally launched on Sunday in the presence of the chief minister and Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan and other dignitaries from the judiciary and state administration.

The seminar also discussed a roadmap for the comprehensive care for such children. As a symbolic gesture, four children of Ranchi district — three in Sohanatu and one in Bero _ were linked with various welfare schemes and provided sponsorships for a period of three years while they live with foster parents.

Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, who is executive chairman of Jhalsa, said so far Jhalsa has managed to provide help to about 208 beneficiaries and that the process for the rest was underway. “Personally, it was a humbling experience to visit and interact with such children in Gumla and Ranchi... they are eager to study and make a mark for themselves. While the pandemic has rattled the world, it is everyone’s responsibility to work towards such children who are the most vulnerable today,” he said.

Hailing the efforts of Jhalsa and the state government, Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan asked the authorities to be humble while dealing with such children. “I urge officials and all those who are involved in this project to think that they are not extending any help to such children. In fact, work with the feeling that you are giving these children their due rights. We all have to work for them by being humble towards them,” he said.