CM Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow on Tuesday. (Source: Vishal Srivastav)
The state Cabinet on Tuesday gave its approval to a proposal making registration of marriages mandatory in the state under the ‘UP Marriage Registration Rules, 2017’. The proposal, submitted by the women and child development department, was passed with directives to the stamp and registration department for enforcement. Cabinet Minister Sidharth Nath Singh said the date from which the decision would be effective will be announced soon. Registration would be a must in every marriage of any community, he said, adding that the Government of India had drafted rules regarding marriage registration, but it had not been implemented in state so far. Registration of marriages will be done online.
Singh said that the opinion of prominent people from all religions had been taken on the matter. Only one community had raised objection and argued that photographs are not taken during ‘nikah’, he added. The opinion was discussed, and it was decided that when a photograph could be used in an Aadhaar card and a voter ID card, why should it be exempted in case of marriage registration, he further said. “Marriage registration with photographs would be mandatory for all,” said the minister.
The registration fee within one year of marriage would be Rs 10, and it will increase to Rs 50 in the next year. The Cabinet also laid down rules for transfer of staff posted in industrial development authorities, NOIDA, Greater Noida and UP State Industrial Development Corporation. Industrial Development Minister Satish Mahana said that so far, staff posted in industrial development authorities were not being transferred from their current postings. The Cabinet has now decided that a central pool of staff would be created and they would be transferred from one authority to another. If any permanent staff refuses the transfer, he/she will be paid three months’ salary in advance and asked to leave the job. Accordingly, ad hoc staff too would be relieved from their jobs with one month’s salary in advance if they refused to accept the transfer, the minister said.
The Cabinet approved another proposal to develop a new prison in Lalitpur on a 100-acre area on the outskirts of the city. The new prison will have the capacity to accommodate 4,500 inmates. The existing prison in the district is located in the city. The Cabinet also decided to increase the hearing hours in subordinate courts by half an hour. So far, these courts had been hearing the cases from 10.30 am to 4 pm, but now, hearings will be held till 4.30 pm. The Cabinet passed another proposal according to which these courts could hear the cases also on the days declared as court holidays.
The Cabinet also decided that the lease of sites for mining purposes would not be renewed in the future and e-tendering and e-auction process would be adopted for fresh allotment of lease. The monitoring system to check illegal mining would be improved by using advanced technologies like radio frequency identity devices and CCTV cameras etc.
Singh also said that the e-Office system would be introduced in the state secretariat from October 1. It would cost Rs 57 crore and will require training of staff as well as ministers. Digitisation of old documents would also be done and the same system would be applied in other government offices.
Singh said that the e-Office system will stop leakage of information and complaints of missing files.
