more-in MADURAI Three children, who had lost both their parents and were staying with her ailing maternal grandmother, were handed over to officials from the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) to ensure care and education by Collector S. Natarajan on Monday. P. Pandiammal, the grandmother from Kulamangalam here, petitioned Collector saying that she did not have the wherewithal to take care of the children, aged eight, six and four. While the children’s father died due to alcoholism-related illness, their mother ended her life in April 2018. Ms. Pandiammal said that while she was working as a construction labourer prior to her daughter’s death, she could not continue the work owing to failing illness and the inability to leave the three children alone. “My only source of income now is the Old Age Pension (OAP) I receive. I am not able to take care of the children with that,” she said. A. Harikrishnan of Netaji Medical Trust in Madurai, who was assisting the children with funds mobilised through social media, said that while few people agreed to contribute every month for the food and education of the children, the funds stopped after three months. S. Muthukumar, a Madurai-based advocate, who was also assisting the children, said that the eldest two children were put in school only from this academic year after the death of their mother. “We decided to approach the district administration as supporting the children with the support of donors seemed unsustainable,” he said. The Collector, before whom the children were produced on Monday, also ordered for a one time financial assistance to the children. Officials from DCPU said that the children will be produced before the Child Welfare Committee, following which the future course of action will be decided.

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