Bhubaneswar, 21 Apr: Nearly 1,000 couples tied the knot in mass weddings in 27 of 30 districts of Odisha under a state government scheme on Tuesday, officials said.
The Department of Women and Child Development has organised the programmes under the Mukhyamantri Kanya Bibaha Yojana, launched with an aim to support families facing financial constraints or social pressures in conducting their daughters’ marriages.
Under the scheme, financial assistance of Rs 60,000 is provided to each eligible beneficiary. Of this, Rs 45,000 is directly transferred to the beneficiary’s bank account, while the remaining Rs 15,000 is utilised for organising and managing the wedding ceremony.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida attended a ceremony in Balasore, where she blessed 56 newlywed couples.
Addressing the gathering, Parida expressed happiness over the solemnisation of marriages of more than 50 couples.
She also called upon parents and the younger generation to work towards eliminating social evils like child marriage and dowry from society.
As many as 67 couples tied the knot in Puri district.
In a video message, Puri MP Sambit Patra described the scheme as a “historic initiative” that has brought relief to poor and underprivileged families for whom arranging marriages for their daughters often becomes a financial burden.
He said many girls are deprived of marriage due to economic constraints, and the government’s ambitious scheme has emerged as a boon for such families.
Patra also extended his wishes to the newlywed couples.
Similarly, a total of 17 couples got married according to Vedic rituals in Malkangiri district.
Joining the programme, Malkangiri Collector Prathamesh Arvind Rajeshirke said, “We are not only giving them social recognition, but also ensuring their future legal security by issuing marriage registration certificates.” (PTI)