50% drop in SC/ST couples seeking marriage aid

The number of applications seeking incentive under the simple marriage scheme for couples from SC/ST communities has come down by half.

The department of social welfare provides an incentive of Rs 50,000 for couples of the two communities who tie the knot in a simple marriage. Though 2020-21 saw many people embracing the idea of simple marriage due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown, less number of couples from these communities have come forward to avail the incentive.

Data available from the department shows that the applications received for the incentive under the simple marriage scheme dropped by at least 50% compared to the previous year.

Every year, the department received 1,500 to 2,000 applications seeking incentive under the scheme. But for 2020-21, the department has received 585 applications, of which documents of 390 applications were verified and sent for approval.

“As many as 129 couples have received the incentive and 35 applications got rejected due to lack of documents,” said a senior official of the department.

Under this scheme, the couples are allowed to submit applications within a year of getting married and their annual income should be within Rs 2 lakh.

According to officials from the department, a major reason for the dip in the number of applications was the lack of mass marriages organised by various organisations.

However, this year, the department has received 3,528 applications for the incentive under the inter-caste marriage scheme, of which 1,390 have been disposed of.

For the widow marriage incentive scheme, the department has received 65 applications, of which 20 applicants received the benefit.