"No guidelines have been given as yet from the ministry. We have asked them and are waiting for the same… The Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) will continue to be involved in Jiyo Parsi and assist the ministry of minority affairs,” stated BPP chairman Viraf Mehta on August 4, 2024. He was responding to Parsiana’s queries about whether the trust is going to play a role in the disbursement of funds for the program. Interest was generated when posters appeared on social media with an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating "PM Modi boosts medical aid for Parsis” and referring to Rs 10 crores allocated for the year 2024-25.
The union minister for minority affairs Kiren Rijiju launched the Jiyo Parsi scheme portal in the presence of minister of state George Kurian, chairman of the National Commission for Minorities Iqbal Singh Lalpura and vice chairman Kersi Deboo on August 13. Rijiju stated a web portal would enable more Parsi couples to take advantage. "The portal would enable them to apply online, check the status of their application and to receive the financial assistance online through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode,” stated a Press Information Bureau release.
From l: Kersi Deboo, George Kurian, Kiren Rijiju, Iqbal Singh Lalpura
Launched in 2013 and formerly implemented by the Parzor Foundation, BPP and Tata Institute of Social Sciences under a grant from the union government, the scheme has three components: financial assistance, health of the community (childcare and assistance of the elderly) and advocacy. The then union minister of minority affairs Smriti Irani had announced that beneficiaries would receive funds through DBT (see "Yes! minister,” Parsiana, November 7-20, 2022).
As stated in the press release dated July 24 assistance will be released "after biometric authentication and other verifications by the respective state governments. Scheme guidelines is (sic) available on the ministry’s website.” This information was given by Rijiju in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on July 27 this year.
The uncertainty over payment caused Shahnaaz and Rohintan Dalal of Bombay to defer their plans for having a second child. Grants for elder care for their parents Kashmira and Faredoon have stopped since "end December 2021 or early 2022.” With Faredoon’s mounting medical expenses, "bau difficult paréch (it is very difficult),” Shahnaaz told Parsiana on August 8. She stated they have complied with all the forms that the BPP has required them to fill out. "Joiiyé su thaych (Let us see what happens),” she stated, hopefully.
Arzan Patel, another beneficiary, said on August 6 that they have not received any quarterly grant since mid-2022, for his mother Katy to support them in the upbringing of their then newborn son Zeus (see "Joyful families,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, July 7-20, 2021). "Bè-tan vakhat BPP é forms bharavya (The BPP have made us fill forms two-three times)…Even the Ahmedabad Parsi Panchayat was involved,” he stated. The problem seems to be the requirement of biometrics. Senior citizen Katy is unable to provide clear fingerprints.
Farrokh Jijina