Vijayawada: Former chairman of Child Welfare Committee B V S Kumar urged the state government to extend NTR Bharosa pensions to orphaned children with physical and intellectual disabilities living in NGO-run child care institutions, who are currently excluded from the scheme.

In a statement on Tuesday, he said these children, abandoned by biological parents and placed in specialised homes under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, face discrimination as they cannot access the Rs 6,000 monthly pension meant for persons with disabilities.

He said thousands of such children are cared for by NGOs and trusts that receive no regular government support and depend on occasional donations to meet essential needs such as food, shelter, therapy and medical care.

While the pension scheme assists disabled persons through parents or guardians, institutionalised orphans are left out due to the absence of an applicant. Kumar urged the Chief Minister to ensure equal pension support for these vulnerable children.