Gorakhpur: Under the Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivah Yojana, the state govt facilitated the marriages of 7,453 girls across the Gorakhpur division in the financial year 2025–26, and transferred over Rs 44.71 crore directly to the bank accounts of the brides, officials said on Thursday.The scheme, run by the social welfare department, covered marriages of 3,070 couples in Maharajganj, 1,841 in Kushinagar, 1,569 in Gorakhpur and 973 in Deoria between Apr 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026.It is part of the govt’s initiative to ease the financial burden of marriage for girls from economically weaker backgrounds.Moreover, gifts worth more than Rs 18 crore were distributed to newlywed couples, under the scheme.The govt had revised the financial assistance under the scheme from Rs 51,000 to Rs 1 lakh per couple in May last year. Of the enhanced amount, Rs 60,000 is transferred to the bride’s bank account and Rs 25,000 is spent on gifts for the couple.The remaining amount is used for food and organisational expenses.Earlier, brides received Rs 35,000, while Rs 10,000 was allocated for gifts.Divisional commissioner Anil Dhingra said the scheme ensured that poor families do not fall into debt while arranging marriages for their daughters.He added that the initiative was also emerging as a strong campaign against social evils such as dowry.
