Utkalika to provide wedding gifts for brides under MKBY

Bhubaneswar: The women and child development department on Thursday signed an MoU with Odisha State Cooperative Handicrafts Corporation (Utkalika) to provide gifts to brides under the Mukhya Mantri Kanya Bibaha Yojana (MKBY).The state recently introduced the MKBY scheme to offer govt-supported marriage assistance to alleviate the financial burden on parents from poor socio-economic backgrounds, and it will remain operational until 2030. Under the MoU, Utkalika will provide handloom sarees, silver ornaments such as anklets and toe rings, and household items such as utensils and upholstery items to the beneficiaries of the scheme.Speaking on the occasion, deputy CM Pravati Parida said the collaboration will not only help the beneficiaries but also support the handloom and handicraft sector.Under the scheme, every bride will receive an assistance of Rs 51,000, of which Rs 35,000 will be provided as direct financial assistance. Another Rs 10,000 will be spent on procuring wedding gifts for the bride from Utkalika under the department of handloom, textile and handicraft. Another Rs 6,000 will be allocated to an NGO, which will organise the weddings.The State Task Force for Empowerment and Protection of Girls and Women, constituted under the chairpersonship of the chief secretary, was designated as the state-level committee for overall supervision of the scheme.Parida, who is also the women and child development minister, said the scheme aims to promote widow remarriage by providing support for their weddings, while simultaneously discouraging early marriages by covering only those girls who attained 18 years of age or above. It also seeks to encourage the registration of marriages under the Odisha Marriage Rules, enhance awareness about women’s legal rights within marriage, and reinforce the significance of dowry prohibition.Together, these measures intend to foster a culture of responsible, lawful, and dignified matrimonial practices across the state, she said.