The Punjab government will give an assistance of Rs. 75,000 for marriages of couples belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) as well as the inter-caste marriages in the state.
A spokesperson of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Minority Welfare Department, Punjab, on Friday said 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 will be given financial assistance to the tune of Rs 75,000 per couple.
A sum of Rs. 60,000 would be given for purchasing household items such as utensils, furniture and gold and Rs 15,000 per couple to the organiser or concerned organisation as consolation prize, the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson said that under the benefits of the scheme, if in case both the bridegroom and the bride belong to the SC category, then one of them must be BPL (Below Poverty Line) of SC category.
If the bridegroom hails from non-SC then the bride must belong to BPL-SC category and in case the bride is from non-SC background, then the bridegroom must belong to the BPL-SC category.
The spokesperson said that during the current year those NGOs/Trusts and other social welfare institutions desirous of availing the benefits entailed under the said scheme should send their proposals through District Welfare Officer to the Director, Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, Welfare Department, Punjab.
For detailed information, the institutions can contact the District Welfare Officer concerned, the spokesperson said.