Married couples get hitched again at mass wedding event in Gr Noida

Greater Noida: The Uttar Pradesh government's mass wedding scheme has come under the scanner after it came to fore that eleven already 'married couples' had participated in a recent mass wedding ceremony on February 24 organised at YMCA Club in Greater Noida just for monetary gains.

According to sources, a few of the eleven couples who got remarried had even brought their children to the ceremony. The only reason, sources say, these couples participated was a sum of Rs 20,000 and some jewellery.

These eleven couples were from Cheeti-Nangla village of Danakur, with most of them well settled and financially sound. As per media reports, some of the couples are working in multinational companies, while some are running business of their own.

However, their desire for easy cash compelled them to remarry at the event.

Taking cognisance of the case, the district administration has formed a committee to look into the matter and launch a probe, after which action will be taken against those found guilty after registering FIR against them.

Sources claimed that so far, four couples have been found at fault and action will be initiated against them.

BN Singh, District Magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar, said, "The purpose of the government's 'Mukhyamantri Samoohik Vivaah Yojana' was to help people belonging to below poverty line category. But if such an irregularity has happened, those responsible will not be spared."

"We have formed a committee who will go and check all the couples who tied the knot on February 24. We will also take action against the members who had selected the couples without checking their backgrounds," Singh added.

A total of 66 couples got hitched during the mass wedding ceremony in Greater Noida, which was organised by the district administration. Around 21 Muslim couples and 45 other Hindu couples got married as part of the programme.