Maharashtra govt expands scope of Mission Vatsalya to help widows, single and deserted women

Mumbai, Sep 13 (PTI) The Maharashtra government has decided to expand the scope of its Mission Vatsalya scheme to provide benefits to all widows, single and deserted women, state Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare has said.

The scheme was initially launched in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic to support children who had lost both parents to the ailment as well as widowed women.

At the time, committees under tehsildars were constituted at the taluka level to ensure such orphans and widows could access government aid and essential certificates, including death and income certificates, caste certificates, widow pension, ration cards, housing support and other social security benefits.

Tatkare on Friday said that the government will now organise camps and outreach programmes at the district level to ensure widows and single women receive the benefits of various state welfare schemes under the 'government at your doorstep' initiative.

"The expansion of Mission Vatsalya will provide social and economic security to women and bring relief to all single women in Maharashtra," she said. PTI MR BNM ARU