No liquor and only 50 people allowed at marriage venue: Bokaro admin

Bokaro: In a world where social distancing and restriction on gathering of people are the new normal, tying the nuptial knot will no longer be the same and likely to remain so even after the lockdown.
Keeping these global changes in mind, the Bokaro district administration on Saturday announced that it will allow marriages in the district, but with a lot of riders. Families of brides, grooms and guests have to follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) once they get permission to solemnise a marriage, the administration officials said.
Explaining the SOP, DC Mukesh Kumar said the number of people cannot exceed 50 people at a marriage venue and masks are a must for everyone, including the bride and the groom. There is a complete ban on serving liquor, paan or tobacco. The entrance gates should have thermal scanners compulsorily and no DJs or music will be allowed after 10pm. Social distancing should be maintained and video footages of the event should be submitted to the administration. Moreover, baraatis coming from outside the state must take special permission, he added.
Kumar said the guidelines are set up ahead of the marriage season. “One has to seek permission by submitting a formal requisition along with invitation cards with details of the bride and the groom to the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) and the additional collector. These are guidelines for the safety of everyone.”
The marriage season formally begins on Saturday and continue till June 30. With many marriages postpone since imposition of lockdown in March, many residents in the district are not keen to delay it further. They are likely to take permission to solemnise the events on the nearly eight auspicious days during season.
A businessman, Gopal Murarka, said the marriage of his son, Saurabh, is fixed on June 18. He said, “We welcome the administration’s move, but there is a confusion over booking the venue as the owners are not ready rent it out due to lack of clarity on number of people allowed to attend. It is not clear if the specified 50 people are inclusive of caterers or guests. Let’s see how it goes.”