MLA Rajesh Pawar launches wedding aid drive for poor families

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: In the wake of suicide of Vaishnavi Hagawane — daughter-in-law of expelled NCP functionary Rajendra Hagawane — BJP MLA Rajesh Pawar, who represents the Naigaon assembly constituency of Nanded district, launched a self-funded initiative aimed at addressing dowry and marriage expense-related concerns by reducing the financial burden on underprivileged families during their daughters' weddings."This is not a scheme — it's a duty I've taken up as a public representative," said MLA Pawar. "When I see mothers skipping meals to save for their daughters' weddings or fathers drowning in debt to arrange utensils and meals for guests, it breaks my heart. I don't want poverty to take away anyone's dignity. Through this initiative, I want to show that compassion and governance can go hand in hand. I have decided that the earnings from one of my businesses will go only for this work."Under this initiative, he would bear the cost of decoration, basic utensils, and household articles in cases where four to six couples come together for marriage. In cases where eight or more couples agree to come together for a mass marriage, he announced he would even bear the expenses for meals.The 23-year-old woman was found hanging from a ceiling fan at her marital home in Pune's Bhukum on May 16. The incident had brought renewed attention to dowry-related harassment"This is my individual response to such social issues. Our initiative offers comprehensive support to families unable to meet wedding-related expenses. From mandap arrangements and tents to lighting, chairs, and meals, I will personally fund the events to ensure that financial limitations do not rob families of dignity during such important occasions," Pawar told TOI.The support is structured to scale depending on the number of weddings held together. If four to six weddings are organised collectively in a village, he said he would cover the cost of tents, chairs, sound, decorations, and basic arrangements. If eight or more weddings are held together, his support will extend to guest meals, drinking water, serving staff, and other related expenses as well, Pawar said.The model has been named the "Naigaon pattern", for which Pawar's office has already started receiving applications from several villages across the constituency. In one such event, six couples from different villages tied the knot with all arrangements funded by Pawar.A structured coordination mechanism involving village sarpanchs, women's self-help groups, and local NGOs has been set up to identify eligible families and manage logistics. Requests for similar events have started coming in from talukas like Umri, Dharmabad, and even neighbouring districts.Pawar's office maintained that the gesture has sparked interest from social organisations and public representatives in other parts of Maharashtra, with delegations from Pune, Beed, and Ahmednagar expressing intent to replicate the model.