JAGATSINGHPUR: While Odisha has hiked financial benefits to people opting for inter-caste marriages, irregularity in payment has proved a dampener for many in Jagatsinghpur district. Since 2019, over 120 inter-caste couples in the district have reportedly been deprived of their incentives due to official apathy while 50 others have put their marriage plans on hold.
To promote social integration, the State government in 2018 had hiked incentive for inter-caste marriage from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh. But administrative apathy along with vacancy of the post of the district welfare officer (DWO) for last one year has deprived many inter-caste couples of the entitled benefits, while discouraging many others to go for marriage outside caste.
As per data, between 2018-2019, as many as 112 inter-caste couples in Jagatsinghpur had availed the incentives. But after 2019, over 125 inter-caste couples in the district are awaiting their dues due to alleged negligence of administration, delay in release of funds and a vacant DWO post for over a year.
On August 13, Director, ST and SC Welfare Development department Pabitra Mandal had directed DWOs of all districts to sanction Rs 6.65 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to nearly 319 inter-caste couples in the State. Prior to fund release, the department had also asked all DWOs to submit lists of all inter-caste couples in respective districts. But DWO Jagatsinghpur in-charge has reportedly not submitted the list which has led to resentment among affected couples.
Manas Sethy, an SC youth who married outside his caste, said they got married against wishes of their families in 2019. But they are yet to receive the grant and have been doing rounds of the district welfare office for two years now. Another SC youth, Harekrushna Samal who too married outside his caste recently has similar complaints.
In-charge DWO Santosh Sahoo, however, clarified that he had sought submission of the beneficiary list but received only three to five names till now.