NEW DELHI: Among the states which have received funds for inter-caste marriages under the Dr Ambedkar scheme for social integration so far this year, Andhra Pradesh tops the list.
According to data with Dr Ambedkar Foundation under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, a total of 92 couples have benefitted from the scheme till September this year. An amount of Rs 2.30 crore has been sanctioned so far, the data shows.
Around Rs 87 lakh has been sanctioned for 35 beneficiaries from Andhra Pradesh, followed by over Rs 40 lakh for 17 couples from Delhi.
While Telangana has received over Rs 32 lakh for 13 couples, over Rs 27 lakh has been sanctioned for 11 beneficiaries for 11 couples from Tamil Nadu.
Karnataka saw four couples’ applications being approved, and the states of Maharashtra and West Bengal saw three applications each approved.
The scheme launched in 2013 incentivises couples for the ‘socially-bold’ step in which one of the spouses belongs to scheduled caste.
Under this scheme, each couple gets Rs 2.5 lakh. While Rs 1.5 lakh is paid at one go, the remaining amount is kept as a fixed deposit and released after three years.
If a couple receives funds from the state for the marriage, then the balance amount would be adjusted from this Central scheme.