By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: In a short span of over one year, 35,392 girls have been married under the “Mukhyamantri Kanyadan Yojna” in Madhya Pradesh.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan had launched the state-wide programme in April 2006 by solemnising marriages of 251 girls at village Sijhora in Mandla district. In the initial year of the scheme 2006-07, in all 13,498 girls tied knot through 286 mass marriage functions.
Giving the information, the Minister for Social Justice and Woman and Child Welfare, Ms Kusum Mehdele said that a target has been fixed to solemnise marriages of 18,082 girls during year 2007-08. Exceeding the target, marriages of 21,894 girls have been solemnised during the first three months of the current financial year. In all, 441 mass marriages functions organised for these marriages.
Under the “Mukhyamantri Kanyadan Yojna”, financial assistance worth Rs. 5,000 and utility gift items worth Rs. 1000 are provided to the newly wedded couple to enable them to start their married life immediately. Girls widows, divorcee women are also being benefited under the scheme. ([email protected])