The Punjab Government has initiated a new scheme aimed at arranging the marriages of couples belonging to the Scheduled Caste as well as the Inter Caste Marriages. For this purpose, assistance worth Rs. 75000 per couple would be provided.Disclosing this here today, a spokesman of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Minority Welfare Department, Punjab, said that under the new scheme the NGOs, Trusts and other social welfare institutions arranging more than 10 marriages of Scheduled Caste and Inter Caste couples would be given financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 75000 per couple. Divulging more, the spokesman said that out of the said amount, a sum of Rs. 60000 would be given for purchasing household items such as utensils, furniture and gold and Rs. 15000 per couple to the organizer/concerned organization as consolation prize.The spokesman also said that for availing the benefits under the scheme in case both the bridegroom and the bride belong to the Scheduled Caste category then one of them must be BPL (Below Poverty Line) Scheduled Caste category. If the bridegroom hails from non- Scheduled Caste then the bride must belong to BPL Scheduled Caste category and in case the bride is from non-Scheduled Caste background then the bridegroom must belong to the BPL Scheduled Caste category. Elaborating more, the spokesman 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 prepare their proposals as per the rules and send the same through District Welfare Officer to the Director, Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, Welfare Department, Punjab at SCO No. 128-129, Sector-34 A till 7th December, 2017. For detailed information, the institutions can contact the District Welfare Officer concerned.
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