Lucknow, 9 December (IANS). Chief Minister Group Marriage Scheme, launched in 2017 by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has opened the way for social security and respectable marriage for the poor and deprived families of the state. This scheme has so far proved to be a boon for more than four lakh poor daughters of Uttar Pradesh. Families of all categories falling under the annual income limit of Rs 2 lakh are availing the benefits of this scheme.
Under this scheme, marriages of more than 25,000 couples have been solemnized so far in the current financial year 2024-25. The objective of the scheme is to help those poor families who, due to financial constraints, are not able to follow the customs and social norms in the marriage of their daughters. This scheme not only reduces the marriage expenses of daughters but also gives them an opportunity to start a respectable married life.
Chief Minister Collective Marriage Scheme has started a new chapter of social and economic development in Uttar Pradesh. It is not only a medium of economic relief for poor families, but it also encourages the values of equality, harmony and dedication in the society. This step of CM Yogi Adityanath has secured a new hope and a better future for the daughters of the state.
Under the Chief Minister Mass Marriage Scheme, Rs 51,000 is spent on each couple. Of this, Rs 35,000 is deposited in the bride’s account, while Rs 10,000 is used to arrange for clothes, jewelery and other essential items. The remaining Rs 6,000 is spent on the pandal and other arrangements for the wedding ceremony. Mass marriage ceremonies are organized as per the customs and traditions of each religion and community. This promotes social harmony between different castes and religions. In the current financial year, the maximum number of couples have got married in districts like Gorakhpur, Rampur and Bijnor. Marriages of 1,974 couples in Bijnor, 1,678 in Gorakhpur, and 1,653 couples in Rampur have been done under this scheme.
The biggest feature of mass marriage scheme is its inclusivity. This scheme is equally applicable for Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian and all other communities. Marriage programs are completely in accordance with social and religious customs. For this, the state government has assigned the responsibility to Nagar Panchayat, Municipality and Area Panchayats for identification of eligible beneficiaries in each district.
The number of beneficiaries availing the scheme has increased continuously in the last five years. While 22,780 couples benefited from the scheme in the financial year 2020-21, the number will reach 1,04,940 by 2023-24. Even in the current financial year, marriages of more than 25,000 couples have been solemnized so far and this number is continuously increasing. The government has earmarked a budget of Rs 600 crore for the scheme in the current financial year, of which more than half of the funds have already been transferred to the districts. This scheme is not only a means of financial help for poor families, but also gives them a sense of social security.
Changes have been made in the Chief Minister Group Marriage Scheme from time to time, so that it can become more effective. Earlier, 10 couples were married in each programme, but now it has been reduced to 5 couples. This change has been made for better management of marriage ceremonies and keeping in mind the individual needs of the beneficiaries.
Apart from this, the government is also running special awareness programs to inform the newly married couples about their rights and schemes after marriage. Mukhyamantri Samaj Vivah Yojana not only helps economically weaker families, but it is also a celebration of social equality and cultural diversity in the society. This scheme gives an opportunity to daughters to start a respectable life and frees their parents from the worry of financial constraints. This scheme of CM Yogi is presenting an ideal example of the vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’.
–IANS
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