Haryana Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday, approved a policy for upliftment of abandoned and surrendered children.

This policy, “HARIHAR” (Homeless Abandoned and Surrendered Children Rehabilitation Initiative Haryana) aims to provide employment, educational and financial benefits to abandoned and surrendered children who have completed the age of 18 years from the child care institutions of the state and were abandoned before the age of five years or surrendered before the age of one year.

The aims and objectives of the policy include to provide jobs on compassionate grounds and economically weaker section (EWS) status to abandoned and surrendered children, who were admitted to child care institutions before the age of five years (as abandoned) and before the age of one year (as surrendered) and who have completed the age of 18 years in child care institutions, upto the age of 25 years, and who possess the required qualification.

It also aims to provide free school and higher education including technical education, skill development and industrial training and after care stay, rehabilitation and financial assistance upto the age of 25 years or marriage, whichever is earlier and one time interest free loan for purchase of a house in Haryana to abandoned and surrendered children who have completed the age of 18 years while living in child care institutions and have obtained admission in such courses.

According to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 abandoned and surrendered children are placed in children homes and specialized adoption agencies (SAAS) by the child welfare committee.

These children qualify for adoption, however, if not adopted and on completing the age of 18 years they need assistance for settlement in their life’s and live with dignity. Meanwhile, to encourage monetization of locked properties of the municipal bodies, the Haryana government has made a policy for sale of shops and houses by municipal bodies, where possessions of such properties are with entities other than the municipal bodies or its predecessor for a period of 20 years.

This policy will not only strengthen the financial position of the municipal bodies but will also grant the small shopkeepers and other Pattedar to the ownership of the said properties under their possession, an official spokesperson said.