‘Turned black in weeks’: Brides complain after mangalsutras gifted at CG mass wedding lose lustre

Raipur: Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah Yojana, a flagship scheme of the Chhattisgarh govt under which women from poor and economically backward families receive guaranteed fiscal support for weddings, came under the shadow of a controversy after some newlywed brides complained about the quality of mangalsutras (wedding necklaces) allegedly distributed at a mass wedding ceremony under the scheme.The complaint led to scrutiny of the items supplied, following which the women and child development department issued a detailed clarification, maintaining that silver mangalsutras were not promised under the scheme and no financial irregularity was reported.The controversy stemmed from a mass marriage programme held on February 10 at Khadgawan in Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur district, where 184 couples were married under the Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah Yojana in presence of MLAs and health minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal.Several brides later complained that the mangalsutras distributed during the ceremony lost their shine and got discoloured within weeks, prompting allegations that jewellery claimed to be silver was in fact made of cheaper metals.The issue snowballed after some women got the ornaments tested by local jewellers, claiming they were not silver. The opposition, Congress, seized on the allegations, accusing the BJP govt of cheating poor women under a welfare scheme.

Amid the uproar, the women and child development department asserted that the scheme does not mandate the distribution of silver mangalsutras.According to the department, revised guidelines issued in March 2024 earmark Rs 50,000 per beneficiary, of which Rs 35,000 is transferred directly to the bride’s bank account. Another Rs 8,000 is spent on the wedding ceremony and logistics, while Rs 7,000 is allocated for clothing, cosmetics, footwear, mangalsutra and other gift items for the couple.Officials further pointed out that the requirement of providing a silver mangalsutra had been withdrawn by the state govt through an order issued in January 2013. The department said social media posts and complaints alleging that brides were promised silver mangalsutras were, therefore, factually incorrect.The clarification also revealed that an internal scrutiny found some of the supplied cosmetic and gift items did not fully match prescribed quality standards.

As a result, payment to the supplier was reduced by Rs 1,000 per couple and a total recovery of Rs 3.6 lakh was made, which has since been deposited into the bank accounts of beneficiaries, officials said.Authorities maintained that the mass wedding programme for all 184 couples was conducted in accordance with govt norms and denied any irregularity in the implementation of the scheme.However, affected women continue to question the quality of the jewellery distributed and insist they were led to believe the ornaments carried significantly higher value than what they eventually received. The controversy has triggered demands for greater transparency in procurement and quality checks under welfare schemes meant for economically weaker families.Health minister Jaiswal said complaints regarding the wedding necklaces had reached him and the procurement and distribution process would be examined impartially.