Mir Iqbal
SRINAGAR, Feb 23: Crores of rupees meant to provide marriage assistance fund to girls belonging to financially weaker section of society under State Marriage Assistance Scheme (SMAS) have been left unused due to the Government apathy.
At least rupees three- crore have been lying unused, as the Government has failed to distribute this amount among deserving girls, which was announced by previous National Conference and Congress Coalition Government on the floor of the Assembly after the then Finance Minister, Abdul Rahim Rather announced Rs 30,000 as financial assistance.
Sources said that the scheme was framed in 2013-14 in terms of Government order number: 02 – SW of 2014, dated 02-01-2014, and one time financial assistance of Rs 30, 000 was supposed to be provided to Below Poverty Line (BPL) girl.
“Social Welfare Department was supposed to provide Rs 30,000 to each Matriculate girl belong to BPL family,” sources said, adding, the department didn’t spent a single penny in 2014.
Although, the department has distributed the financial assistance to some 1000 odd girls during financial year 2012-13, when the State Government identified more than 3, 75, 000 deserving girls belonging to poor families.
“Hundreds of parents and young girls have been seen roaming in the department for months together for the monetary help to tie nuptial knot, but due to casual attitude of the Government, they were not benefitted despite having available funds with the department,” sources said.
Director Social Welfare, Gazneffer Ali told Excelsior that financial assistance couldn’t be provided to deserving girls, who are eagerly waiting to tie the wedding knot due to the some difficulty in its implementation at administrative level.
He said that somebody has filed a PIL demanding as much as Rs 47,000 instead of Rs 20,000 as assistance including five-gram gold to these girls, which the department couldn’t afford due to paucity of funds.
“The needed amount ran in thousands of crores which the State Government couldn’t afford,” he said, adding, that was why Social Welfare Department returned rupees three crore to the Government after finding it insufficient for the scheme.
He said that the scheme is likely to remain shelved till the new Government is formed in the state so that some new avenues are explored to sponsor the scheme. “Once the Government is formed in the state, it will be implemented again,” Director said.
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