Telangana govt to give ₹3 lakh to women who marry priests

HYDERABAD: The Telangana government will offer ₹3 lakh to women who marry Brahmin bachelors working as temple priests from next month, a senior state official has said.

Arranged marriages for young Brahmin men working as temple priests have become difficult since women and their families choose men with fatter pay cheques, officials said, explaining the reason behind the scheme.

In addition to the ₹3 lakh — which will be given as a fixed deposit jointly to the couple — the government will also pay ₹1 lakh to fund the wedding ceremony.

“Unlike in the past, girls have become very ambitious and choosy in selecting grooms these days. Even software engineers are not able to get marriage alliances because of uncertain jobs. It is all the more difficult for young Brahmin priests working in temples to find suitable girls because they do not enjoy much respect in the society,” said Telangana Brahmin Samkshema Parishad chairman KV Ramanachary, who is also an adviser to the CM.

The scheme, Kalyana- masthu, will likely be launched in November. The ₹3 lakh will be deposited in the joint account of the bride and the groom in a nationalised bank in the form of a fixed deposit for three years. “Our objective is to see that there would be no financial troubles for the family once they are blessed with children during this three-year period,” Ramanachary said.

Parents who want to get their daughters married to bachelor temple priests can apply for the incentive scheme along with the details of both the bride and the bridegroom. “There is no limit for the number of couples to get the assistance under the scheme. All the eligible applicants would be provided with the marriage incentives,” he said.

OFFICIALS SAID MOVE DRIVEN BY DIFFICULTY FACED BY PRIESTS IN GETTING MARRIED AS WOMEN CHOOSE MEN WITH FATTER PAY CHEQUES AS GROOMS