The Telangana government is grappling with clearing around a third of the over 32,300 Shaadi Mubarak scheme applications it has received in FY 2018-19.
While the scheme was launched in 2014 with the intention of providing financial assistance of ₹51,000 to women from minority communities at the time of marriage, this one time grant was enhanced to ₹ 1,00,116 in April this year.
As per figures obtained from the Commissionerate for Minorities Welfare (CMW), the number of applications which the government has received since FY 2014-15 has been increasing. At the moment, the number of beneficiaries who have registered in FY 2018-19 for availing the scheme stands at 32,387. Out of this, 11,134 applications are yet to be processed.
Officials said the processing of applications is done by the concerned tahsildar and later, cheque distribution to beneficiaries is done by the local Member of Legislative Assembly.
Multiple documents
According to activists, there have been instances in which those working at the tahsildar’s office have asked for documents other than those that are prescribed which has left applicants confused.
Activist S. Q. Masood said that some applicants have been asked by officials to show proof that they are not getting married for the second time and also, if they live in a rented accomodation, to provide a copy of the rental deed. He also said that at times a delay in cheque disbursal is putting applicants through financial hardship.
Interest burden
“A lot of people still take hand-loans from micro-financiers and hope once they receive Shaadi Mubarak funds, they will pay off their creditors. A delay in Shaadi Mubarak funds would mean that they would have to pay crushing interest rates. I am not saying that government should not be careful and plug leaks, but it is important that funds are given on time to beneficiaries,” he said.
For their part, officials of the CMW said that there is no delay from their side. “We are working closely with the district officials. We are doing our best to address grievances whenever they arise. The funds are in the green channel so there is no problem of expenditure,” an official said.