Mumbai: After complaints that disbursements to beneficiaries under the Jiyo Parsi scheme to boost India's Parsi population have been delayed, the Ministry of Minority Affairs said that they are in the process of resolving the issue.
Complaints about the delay in payments were raised at a meeting last week between Parsi-Zoroastrians and the Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijuju. While the meeting discussed the improved guidelines under the central government scheme, community members said that disbursements have been hit due to problems with the online application system.
The scheme for the 'micro-minority' Parsi community plans to spend Rs 50 crores over five years to help the declining group to increase its birth rate. The scheme provides financial assistance up to Rs six lakhs for fertility treatments like In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), and surrogacy. Couples with children also get Rs 8000 per child till they turn 18.
There is also financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per month for couples with elderly people staying with them. This is to help working couples who may want assistance from elderly relatives to take care of their children. The assistance under the schemes is subject to income levels. The scheme was introduced after the steep decline in the Parsi population from nearly 1,14,000 in 1941 to 57,264 when the last census was conducted in 2011.
Jehangir Patel, editor of the community magazine Parsiana, said that after the application process for the scheme was moved online, there is no mechanism to hear complaints. Patel, who had attended last week's meeting, said, "The entire process is online and there is no personal contact with any officials if there are queries. There is a demand for a local official who can help," said Patel.
The earlier association of the scheme with Parzor Foundation, a UNESCO-supported project to preserve the community's cultural and religious heritage, has been discontinued. This wA done after the government decided to disburse funds directly to the beneficiaries. This has left a gap in the redressal of glitches in the scheme's administration, added Patel.
Kersie Deboo, vice-chairman of the National Commission for Minorities and the Parsi representative in the body, said that some applications have not been accepted because the data is incomplete. "The scheme was functioning well between 2015 and 2022-23. Nearly 400 children are getting benefits. When the scheme was revised this year the process was made online. Most of the applicants have received arrears of two years. We are resolving the pending applications by giving the work a priority," said Deboo.
"Newly appointed minority ministers Kiren Rijijuji and George Kurianji are taking much interest in this project as PM Modiji insisted on implementing this scheme fast," Deboo added.
Viraf Mehta, chairman of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet, which is involved in the programme, said that apart from the meeting with Rijuju, community leaders met the beneficiaries to resolve the problems. "Unfortunately, there has been a lot of misunderstanding. The government has changed the scheme. They are trying to make it online. There was a delay. The arrears will be cleared in the next few weeks," said Mehta.
There is no data on the number of beneficiaries under the schemes, except for the figure of 400 children whose parents get the childcare benefit.
