Mo Kudia to cover adult orphans

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to cover all the adult orphans, who had put up at recognised child care institutions, under ‘Mo Kudia’ programme. Of the many child care institutions in the State, 132 orphanages having an intake of 8,428 have been recognised by the Government. The Women and Child Development has sought a report from the district social welfare officers about the number of adult orphans who have left the institutes. Boys attaining the age of 18 will be eligible for a free homestead land under ‘Mo Jami Mo Diha’ scheme of the State Government while in case of girls the age should be 25. However, officials failed to explain the discrepancy in the eligibility criterion for boys and girls. Even though orphans belong to most disadvantaged section, they are not yet covered under the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) since they do not have homestead land. Besides, the IAY has no provision to provide housing assistance to the adult orphans simply because they are not enlisted in the BPL list, said a senior Government officer. In a circular of the Revenue Department, homestead land will be provided to an adult orphan who was an inmate of a recognised orphanage. Once homestead land is allotted, they will be eligible to get housing assistance under Mo Kudia programme, the officer said. The State government has set a target to provide home to 13,177 homeless at a total cost of ` 60 crore under the Mo Kudia scheme during the current year. The target includes 130 houses for the villagers of Khajuria and Gudhiali of Boudh district whose houses were burnt to ashes, houses for 500 homeless families of Golabandh in Ganjam district and 646 flood- affected families of Nabarangpur district. The Mo Kudia scheme was launched by the State Government with its own resources in 2009 to provide homes to the poor who did not figure in the BPL list, orphans, leprosy and AIDS patients and people affected by natural calamities and Naxal violence. Official sources said till now 40,677 homes have been provided to the beneficiaries under the scheme.