HYDERABAD: Telangana has seen a decline in child marriages thanks to Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak schemes. As per the National Family Health Survey-5, the percentage of women who got married before they reached the age of 18 years is now 23 per cent compared to the NFHS-4, when it was 26.2 per cent, proving a decline in child marriages, said BC Welfare Minister Gangula Kamlakar on Thursday.
Answering a question in the Assembly, the Minister said that the State government has succeeded in preventing child marriages by implementing Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak schemes. He said that it was also confirmed in a survey conducted by NFHS. He said that a total of 10,26,396 people have benefited from the schemes. An amount of `8,673 crore was handed over to the beneficiaries under the schemes, the Minister said.
He clarified that there is no delay from the government in releasing cheques to the beneficiaries; the delay was because of not applying on time. “If the wedding card and details of the marriage are uploaded 15 days prior to the function, the cheque will be handed over on the marriage day,” he said.