Sujata (name changed), an AIDS patient, who lives in the city's Gulzarbagh area, has been running from pillar to post since the past seven months to avail the benefits of the Parvarish Yojana.

The social welfare department launched the scheme in 2013 to help AIDS, HIV+ and leprosy patients with the upbringing of their wards by providing them a fixed monthly allowance. For children between 1-9 years, the patients are supposed to get Rs 900 per month while those between 6-18 years are supposed to get Rs 1,000 on a monthly basis after producing certificates, including bank account details, address proof, voter card and others.

According to Sujata, who works with an NGO, she received the benefits of the scheme till December 2016. "My husband died in 2005. I have two children, a boy and a girl. My daughter, who is HIV+ since birth, goes to a government school while my son, who is not suffering from the disease, studies in a private school. I am supposed to get monthly allowance for both my children under the scheme but since the past seven months, I have not received a single penny under the scheme. I have visited every office concerned but to no avail. Visiting offices frequently while undergoing treatment for AIDS becomes difficult at times," said Sujata.

Sujata has not received benefits of the Bihar Shatabdi AIDS Peerit Kalyan Yojana since it was launched in 2015. Under the scheme, AIDS and HIV+ patients over 18 years of age are supposed to get Rs 1,500 on a monthly basis lifelong. Sujata said: "AIDS and HIV+ patients have to face a lot of social prejudice. We don't get employment very easily. The government's scheme would have benefited us if it was properly implemented."

Sujata, who hails from Silao block of Nalanda, said she knew at least 10 AIDS patients who had not received any scheme benefits.

Radha (name changed), another AIDS patient and a resident of Paliganj, said she had not received the monthly allowance under the Parvarish Yojana after March this year. She, too, said she had not received the benefits of Bihar Shatabdi AIDS Peerit Kalyan Yojana since its launch.

Radha said the state government had earlier announced to provide Rs 100 as monthly travel allowance to patients visiting the Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centres for treatment but added that it was yet to be implemented.

"My husband had also applied for the Bihar Shatabdi AIDS Peerit Kalyan Yojana but he, too, has been denied its benefits till now. AIDS patients are already facing a lot of problems in their lives. Launch of such schemes by the government instil a hope in us that things will be better but denial of service breaks our confidence," added Radha.

Asked about the denial of scheme benefits to AIDS patients, additional secretary of the social welfare department Sujata Chalana was clueless about the schemes (Parvarish Yojana and Bihar Shatabdi Aids Peerit Kalyan Yojana run under the department). "You need to speak to the director of the social welfare directorate,Ramashankar Prasad Daftuar, because the schemes run under the directorates. (the social welfare directorate runs under the social welfare department). He will be able to tell you the details," she said.

Daftuar admitted that there was no allotment of funds due to which AIDS patients had not received benefits of the Parvarish Scheme.