Odisha hikes incentives for Inter-caste Marriage

The Odisha government has increased, from the present Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh, the incentive to encourage inter-caste marriage among the Hindu community, a minister said on Tuesday.

SC and ST Development Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi said the hiked incentives would be implemented with retrospective effect from September 14, 2017 and be given in a marriage between upper caste Hindus and SC Hindus.

The amount would be given irrespective of the economic status of the marrying couple.

In August last year, the state government had hiked the incentives to Rs 1 lakh from Rs 50,000 to encourage more such inter-caste marriages.

As per the norms, the couple shall have to apply for sanction and will have to execute a bond. The couple has to refund the amount within a year if the marriage ends in divorce within five years, said an official.

In the 2017-18 financial year, the state government has awarded about Rs 2.65 crore to 543 couples. (IANS)