TN Govt allots Rs 60 cr to provide marriage assistance

Chennai, Jan 26 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu Government has allotted Rs 60 crore for providing financial assistance to nearly 45,000 poor girls for marriage during the current year, Social Welfare Minister A Poongothai said today.

Talking to newspersons here, she said of the Rs 60 crore so far Rs 33 crore had been spent for providing assistance to poor girls under the Muvalur Ramamirtham Marriage Assistance scheme.

Stating that the government had instituted a state-level award (Manimegalai award) for outstanding women self-help groups (SHGs) in the state, she said a purse of Rs 50,000, a citation and medal would be given to the selected women SHG.

She said efforts were on to provide national identity cards to about nine lakh physically-challenged persons in the state before June this year.

Earlier, participating in the 'Mangalsutra' function, a project to financially help poor people to get married organised by the Rotary Club of Madras Central, in which wedding of 51 poor couples were performed, the Minister lauded the efforts of the Rotary Club.

She appealed to the service organisations like Rotary Clubs to join hands with the government in carrying out welfare measures to the people.

Speaking on the occasion, Electricity Minister Arcot N Veerasamy said arrangements would be made to supply free LPG gas connections with stove for the 51 couples married today.

Chairman of the Mangalsutra project Dr Srinivasan said apart from solemnising the wedding, the club ensured that the marriage of the couples were registered as per the Hindu Marriage Act.

The club also gifted basic materials to the newly-wed couples to start their marital life, he added.

UNI