LAHORE: The registration process for marriages of underprivileged girls in Punjab has been successfully completed as part of the “Dhee Rani Program.”

By the deadline, a total of 4957 applications were received. Acting on CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s directives, the Punjab government has allocated Rs 500 million for the first phase, which will see the mass marriage of 1500 couples. The Punjab Department of Social Welfare will manage 3000 mass marriages at a total cost of Rs 1 billion.

Provincial Minister for Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Mal, Sohail Shaukat Butt, announced that the last date for submitting applications was Friday, 15 November, by which 4957 applications had been received. These applications were collected via the PITB portal. The highest number of applications came from Muzaffargarh (307), followed by Lahore (269), and the lowest number of applications came from Gujrat (15).

About 70-percent of the applicants are women aged between 18 and 25 years. The remaining registered couples will be married in the second phase, which will commence soon.

Only the verified copies of the NADRA identity cards of the bride and groom, along with those of the parents or guardians, are required. The Department of Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Mal will provide a package of 164,000 rupees per couple. Additionally, arrangements will be made to provide lunch for 20 guests attending the ceremony.

A contract with the Bank of Punjab is in the final stages for purchasing gifts and disbursing a marriage grant of 100,000 rupees. The final recommendation will be made by the Assistant Commissioner of the relevant tehsil, which will then be forwarded to the Provincial Steering Committee (PSC) and the provincial portal. Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners will manage the venue and related arrangements, including the transportation of the couples.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024