Punchayet booster

The Bombay Parsi Punchayet is continuing with its efforts to induce couples with limited income to increase the size of their families. The monetary assistance of Rs 12,000 per year offered to the third child (and more, if they follow) has cost the Punchayet Rs 16.74 lakhs, notes their senior executive (welfare) Cawas Pan-thaki. Until March 2006, 125 children had benefited from this scheme. This figure includes one family with seven children and another with six. There are two sets of triplets covered by this scheme so each of the three children receives monetary aid from the Punchayet.

The Day Care Centre scheme offering monetary assistance of Rs 300 per month to families with one or more childen who are kept in a Day Care Centre and where the couple’s monthly income is less than Rs 30,000 has 18 children availing of this facility. This grant is given only until the child attains 12 years of age, specifies Pan-thaki. This scheme covers only Bom-bay based families while the third child scheme is applicable thro-ughout India, clarifies Panthaki.