BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Thursday doubled the cash incentive for inter-caste marriages from existing Rs. 50,000 to Rs. one lakh. A marriage in which one of the spouses belongs to the Scheduled Caste community would be considered for the incentive.
The amount would be given to the couple irrespective of their economic status and the money should be used to purchase land or household articles. Minister for SC & ST Development, Minorities and Backward Class Welfare Department Ramesh Chandra Majhi told this paper that the proposal to encourage inter-caste marriages and enhance the incentive was discussed at a meeting of the Scheduled Caste Welfare Advisory Board in June, 2015 under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The notification in this regard was issued on July 22, he said.
The State Government had last time increased the incentive amount from `10,000 to `50,000 in 2007. The couple has to refund the amount within a year, if the marriage ends in divorce within five years.