The Government of Himachal Pradesh enacted the Sukhashraya Act in 2023, specifically designed to enhance the welfare of orphans and persons with unique needs. This progressive act is engineered to provide instrumental tools such as financial, educational and social support, towards fostering the development of these vulnerable sections of society.
Sukhashraya Act, 2023: An Overview
At its core, the Sukhashraya Act defines orphans as individuals lacking biological parents or whose parents are incapacitated. It extends its ambit to include any child in need of care and special protection, such as those bereft of homes or individuals at risk of forced marriage, crime, or drug abuse. The act is meticulously devised to offer financial and institutional benefits to beneficiaries aged 18-27 years. Simultaneously, it also focuses on vocational training, skill development, and coaching, shaping these individuals into productive members of society.
Benefits under the Sukhashraya Act
Under this Act, a special fund named Mukhya Mantri Sukhashraya Sahayata Kosh, amounting to Rs. 101 crores, has been set up. A fresh Child Welfare Committee is slated to be established in each district for effective implementation and monitoring of this scheme. The act assigns orphans and persons with special needs the status of ‘children of the state’, integrating them completely into the mainstream fabric of society. The financial benefits included under this Act are season-specific allowances, festival bonuses, and a monthly allowance for college expenses. Institutional benefits involve sponsored travel and accommodation within the state and coverage of hostel fees for beneficiaries in ITI and government colleges.
Beyond Financial Aid
The Act goes a step further by vowing to provide a fixed sum at the time of marriage and three biswas of land for building their own homes, aiming to instil a sense of autonomy and self-reliance among beneficiaries. Orphans aspiring to establish their startups will receive a token corpus, spurring their entrepreneurial pursuits. Doctoral students are also included in this Act’s purview, extending the monthly allowance to them.
Other Safeguards Mentioned in the Act
The Sukhashraya Act promises support from the state government to ex-residents of child care institutions up to the age of 21 years. Recurring deposit accounts will be opened for each child and orphan, with the state government contributing to these accounts regularly. The Child Welfare Committee is assigned the task of conducting surveys to identify orphans and addressing the demands of children in need.
Role of States/UTs
As per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, orphan and destitute children fall under the category of “Children in Need of Care and Protection”. Consequently, the primary responsibility of executing the act lies with the respective States and Union Territories.
Similar Initiatives at the Central Level
Taking cognizance of the issue at a national level, the Government of India launched the Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme or “Mission Vatsalya”. This scheme, overseen by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, shares a common objective with the Sukhashraya Act. It aims to provide financial assistance for carrying out situational analysis of children in difficult circumstances. Apart from offering institutional care to children in CCIs, the scheme also extends support for adoption, foster care and sponsorship, thereby encompassing non-institutional care within its scope.