Beed’s drought relief programme will provide government assistance of up to Rs 25,000 to eligible couples taking part in mass weddings organised for rural families, including farmers, agricultural labourers and sugarcane harvesters.
The Beed district administration has scheduled the initiative in three phases between November and December. The announced dates are November 25-26, November 14-15 and December 30-31. Eligible couples can register through local Anganwadi workers and select one of the scheduled wedding phases.
Beed District Collector Vivek Johnson announced the programme in an Instagram post on Saturday, citing the state government’s declaration of drought across the entire district. He said the initiative was intended to reduce the financial burden on farmer families arranging marriages during the drought.
“The state government has declared drought across the entire Beed district. Considering the situation, and to ease the financial burden on farmer families during their children’s marriages, the district administration has decided to organise mass weddings,” Johnson said.
The financial assistance will be extended through government schemes including Kanyadaan and Shubhamangal. The support is available to eligible beneficiaries from communities covered by these schemes, including Scheduled Castes, neo-Buddhists, denotified tribes, nomadic tribes, Other Backward Classes and special backward categories.
Families of farmers and agricultural labourers may also qualify for the initiative, subject to the relevant eligibility criteria. The administration said the programme was designed to ensure that marriage-related expenses do not add to the difficulties already faced by rural households during the drought.
The announcement places the programme within the district’s wider welfare administration rather than treating the mass weddings as a standalone social event. The district administration is coordinating with multiple government departments to identify beneficiaries, process assistance and organise the ceremonies across the participating areas.
A district-level committee headed by the additional collector has been formed to coordinate the programme. At the taluka level, committees headed by the respective tehsildars will oversee arrangements. These committees will include block development officers and child development project officers from the Women and Child Development Department.
The initiative is being undertaken under the guidance of G Sreekanth, Divisional Commissioner of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The district administration has urged eligible couples and their families to register and use the assistance available under the government schemes.
“To participate in the mass wedding initiative, eligible couples can approach their local Anganwadi workers and register themselves. They can also select a date from the scheduled phases,” Johnson said. Families seeking information about the registration process can contact the administration on 9307670495.
The administration has described participation as a way for families to reduce wedding expenses while accessing existing welfare support. Registration through the local Anganwadi network and oversight by taluka committees will determine how the programme is implemented across Beed’s drought-affected rural areas.
