Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday disbursed Rs 142 crore financial assistance to 18,883 newly married eligible couples under YSR Kalyanamasthu and YSR Shaadi Tohfa schemes.
YSR Kalyanamasthu is aimed at enabling eligible poor parents from SC, ST, BC, minority, differently-abled and construction workers sections to respectfully marry off their daughters while YSR Shaadi Tohfa is for the similar purpose in the Muslim community.
"Nowadays, all the poor parents want to educate their children and marry them off respectfully without getting indebted. This scheme is for the girl children of all the people like that," said Reddy about the schemes which offers financial assistance between Rs 40,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh under various categories. Bride and bridegroom must pass 10th standard to be eligible and cross 18 and 21 years of age respectively, and the money will be credited into the girl's mother's bank account.
According to the Chief Minister, these conditions will help reduce child marriages and make sure that the beneficiaries' complete intermediate education, including availing government schemes such as Jagananna Vidya Devena to continue further studies. He also noted that these schemes are aimed at promoting education, especially girls' education with the endeavour to ensure that everybody studies till graduation.
Following two phases, October, 2022 to March, 2023, Reddy said today's disbursal is under the third phase. As many as 35,551 couples were given Rs 267 crore through this scheme so far. Every year, it will be implemented in four phases, he added.
