2,500 poor Muslim couples to be married in mass ceremony

Hyderabad, Aug 14 (UNI) For the first time in the country, over 2,500 poor Muslim couples will be married at a mass ceremony here and in other district headquarters by the Andhra Pradesh Government on August 28.

Informing this to reporters here yesterday, Minorities Welfare Minister Mohd Ali Shabeer said spurred by the success of the mass marriages for Hindu couples performed by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy decided to extend the programme to poor Muslim and Christian Couple too.

He said Rs 15,000 would be incurred towards marriage of each couple. Willing couples below the poverty line would also be provided suitable vocational training to earn a decent living.

The State Government had allocated Rs 4.50 crore for mass marriage of poor Muslim couples during 2008-09 and Rs 75 lakh for Christian couples, he said.

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