Band, Baaja, Baraat: Wedding bells ring for poor girls; over 18800 receive marriage assistance 

Srinagar: Gulshan Akhtar from Mantipora finally found solace when she received cash relief of Rs 50,000 under the State Marriage Assistance Scheme. It was a dream of a 33-year-old specially-abled woman to settle down in life. 

“During my field visit, I met Gulshan who wanted to marry but couldn’t due to her poor financial conditions. I informed her about the scheme. It helped her to bear the expenses for the marriage”, Shah Rouf, Tehsil Social Welfare Officer, told The Kashmir Monitor.

Jammu and Kashmir government has launched special awareness campaigns to motivate deserving people to come forward and seek help. “Many individuals have benefited from these awareness campaigns,” said Rouf.

State Marriage Assistance Scheme is a social welfare program for poor girls of marriageable age. The girls who have PHH (Priority Households) or AAY (Antyodaya Anna Yojana) ration cards are eligible for the scheme. Under this arrangement, they receive a one-time payment of ₹50,000 to help toward their marriage. The financial support must be paid, before the marriage.

Gulshan’s case is just the tip of the iceberg.  Hundreds of poor girls have benefited from this scheme.

Official data accessed by The Kashmir Monitor revealed 18876 cases have been sanctioned in Kashmir under the State Marriage Assistance Scheme 2015-2023. Baramulla tops the list with 3306 cases. Data reveal that 1220 cases were sanctioned in Srinagar, 2370 in Anantnag, 1857 cases in Kupwara, 1118 in Ganderbal, 2078 in Budgam, 2084 in Kulgam, 2456 in Bandipora, 1593 in Pulwama, 894 cases in Shopian.

Assistant Director of Administration, Social Welfare Department, Tahira Tabasaum told The Kashmir Monitor that the scheme is designed to uplift women by providing financial support for their weddings, reducing the economic burden on families. 

“The scheme has helped in empowering women economically and enhance their overall well-being. Additionally, such programs may contribute to social inclusion and strengthen community ties”, she added.