Gariyaband: A big scandal surfaced in Chhattisgarh where the state government’s Inter-Caste Marriage Incentive Scheme meant to eliminate untouchability has been faked most shamelessly. Thirteen people have misrepresented themselves and received incentive amounts of ₹32.5 lakhs by availing of this scheme. They submitted some fake marriage certificates from Arya Samaj Mandir and thus gained the scheme’s benefits, most of whom were already married.
Thus, under the Inter-Caste Marriage Incentive Scheme, the government incentivised eradicating untouchability as per Section 17; a reward of ₹2 5 lakhs is provided to the couples when one belongs to SC and the other is from non-SC categories. The amount is distributed in two parts: ₹1 lakh is credited to the married couple’s account by RTGS or NEFT within one week of marriage, and ₹ 1.5 lakhs is invested in a joint FD account under the name of the couple, and the Assistant Commissioner of the Tribal Department in a nationalized bank for 3 years.
Instead, the accused individuals went against the scheme’s rules and guidelines and got remarried Arya Sam Raj with the intent of defrauding the incentive. Most of these people had kept their first spouses, and the fact that they had children was undisclosed as they procured fake certificates stating that they were single and had no kids for the purpose of being considered for the scheme. At times, these kids were born outside the Arya Samaj marriage, but civil documents were produced to avail of this new marriage with the intention of benefiting from the scheme.
Additionally, they are also embezzling and taking incentives wrongfully from other district beneficiaries, namely Raipur, Durg and Dhamtari beneficiaries, while the scheme is supposed to benefit the Gariyaband district only. This fraudulent activity has cost the government ₹32.5 lakhs in total.
Subsequently, the Additional Collector, Arvind Pandey, has issued the legal notice to register FIRs against all the 13 ineligible persons within the 31st of October, 2024.
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