THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Some poor are more equal than others for the Kerala Government, it seems.
A comparison of the government’s marriage assistance under various categories show that the economically-backward among the forward castes get a preferential treatment than their Scheduled Caste peers.
While the marriage grant for the forward caste members distributed through the Kerala State Welfare Corporation for Forward Communities is Rs 1 lakh, the assistance given by the Kerala State SC Development Department to a community member is Rs 75,000.
The forward community members have a relaxed ceiling on the family’s annual income — Rs 3 lakh. The income limit for SC members, at the same time, is Rs 1 lakh. An officer of the KSWCFC said 100 persons benefited from the scheme in the present fiscal.
The only other section which gets Rs 1 lakh assistance on a par with the forward community members is the Scheduled Tribes.
Minister for the Welfare of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes A K Balan said his department’s original proposal was to give Rs 1 lakh to SC members as well.“But it was objected to by the Finance Department. We feel it is an injustice. The department will take up the matter with the government,” he said.
The minister added that the grants for SCs and STs, Rs 50,000 for both, were increased by the present government in 2016. “We also relaxed the upper limit on family income, from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh,” he said.
The Social Justice Department gives marriage grants to differently-abled women and transgenders. The differently-abled women are given Rs 30,000 each.
Differently-abled couple can also claim the amount for marrying off their daughters. The family’s upper-income limit has been fixed at Rs 1 lakh for the assistance.
Transgender couples are given Rs 30,000 each as grant. A transgender marrying a person of another gender would also be eligible for the grant.
The Women and Child Development Department has a scheme for widow remarriage. The beneficiary is given Rs 25,000.