Nizamabad: No encouragement to inter-caste marriages

Nizamabad: Non-payment of inter-caste marriage incentives to the beneficiaries since 2017 shows a decrease in the government's support to the inter-caste marriages, which is a platform for the creation of a caste-free society.

The State and Central governments have been encouraging inter-caste marriages by providing financial assistance to curb caste discrimination. The State government offers Rs 50,000 as incentive to the couple, who apply for such a marriage. As per the scheme, the couple should marry under Hindu Marriages Act-1955 to be eligible for the incentive.

The government gives Rs 50,000 to a Scheduled Caste person, if he/she marries outside their caste and Rs 10,000 will be given to a Backward Class person, if he/she marries outside their caste. SC beneficiaries will receive financial assistance from Scheduled Castes Development Department while BCs receive a cash reward from Backward Class Development Department.

The BC Development Department had not paid inter-caste marriage incentives to the beneficiaries, who got marries during 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 financial years.

In 2016 -17 financial year, 65 youth belonging to upper caste had married BC community people in the district. The government had released funds worth Rs 9.82 lakhs to the district to distribute among the inter-caste marriage couples. However, the BC officials had paid Rs 4.60 lakh to 46 couples. The remaining 19 couples didn't get the benefits till date.

The beneficiaries said that their applications are pending in Zilla Parishad (13 applications) and District BC Welfare Department (6 applications).

New Zilla Parishad governing body came to power four months ago and it has to check the pending applications of inter-caste marriage beneficiaries. Many couples, who married outside their castes, during 2017 -18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 are not willing to apply for the incentives as they are vexed with the attitude of the BC officials.

The SC Development Department officials had sanctioned benefits of Rs 25.5 lakhs to 51 inter-caste couples in 2018-19 financial year. In 2019-20 financial year, 20 men and women had married people belonging to SC community and waiting for the government benefits.