The Punjab Government would give an assistance of Rs.75000 for marriages of couples belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) as well as the inter-caste marriages.
A spokesman of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Minority Welfare Department in Punjab said on Friday that under the new scheme the non-governmental organisations (NGOs), trusts and other social welfare institutions arranging more than 10 marriages of SC and inter caste couples would be given financial assistance of `75000 per couple.
Divulging more, the spokesman said that out of the said amount, a sum of `60000 would be given for purchasing household items such as utensils, furniture and gold and `15000 per couple to the organiser as consolation prize.
To avail the benefits under the scheme in case both the groom and the bride belongs to the SC category then one of them must be Below Poverty Line (BPL).
If the groom hails from non-SC then the bride must belong to BPL SC category and in case the bride is from non-SC then the groom must be from BPL SC category.
The spokesman added that in the current year (2017), the NGOs/trusts and other social welfare institutions desirous of availing the benefits should send their proposals through District Welfare Officer to the Director, Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, Welfare Department, Punjab.