Karnataka government to restart mass marriage scheme

After a gap of nearly two years, the Karnataka government will restart the 'Saptapadi’ mass marriage scheme, Muzrai Minister Shashikala Jolle said on Wednesday.

The free mass marriages under the scheme will be conducted on April 28, May 11 and 25 in select 'A' category Muzrai temples, Jolle said.

The scheme was introduced by the BJP government in 2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic had come in the way.

"The Saptapadi scheme was started to prevent lower and middle class families from falling into financial crisis due to huge marriage expenditure. Besides providing benefits to the couples entering wedlock, guests will be provided food by the managements of temples," Jolle said, adding that the scheme will be implemented in compliance with Covid-19 protocols.

Under the scheme, couples entering wedlock will be given benefits worth Rs 55,000, including an 8-gram gold thali (mangalsutra), Rs 10,000 for the bride and Rs 5,000 for the bridegroom.

Some of the temples selected under the Saptapadi scheme in Bengaluru include the Banashankari, Gavi Gangadhareshwara, Kadu Malleshwara and Dodda Ganapathi.

Couples who want to get married under the scheme must register at the temples with necessary documents 30 days in advance.

Tasdik hiked

The Muzrai department has issued an order hiking the annual tasdik amount from Rs 48,000 to Rs 60,000 for priests and other staff in government-run temples.

The hike was announced by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in his 2022-23 budget.

Tasdik allowance is given to 34,219 'C' category temples whose annual revenue is under Rs 5 lakh.

This was a long-pending demand by priests, Jolle said. The minister had assured priests that the tasdik will be hiked in the wake of increase in the prices of essential commodities and the resultant uptick in the cost of performing rituals.

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