The big fat Indian wedding is known for the exorbitant amounts spent on them by the families, most of the time as a ?¡°show of wealth¡±. However, this might change soon if the parliament passes a bill aimed at limiting wedding expenses.?
BCCL/representational image
The bill tabled in the Lok Sabha by Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan seeks to put a limit on the number of guests to be invited and dishes to be served in weddings. It also wants those spending above ?5 lakh to contribute towards marriages of poor girls.
If a family spends above ?5 lakh on a wedding, it has to contribute 10 per cent of the amount of marriages of girls from poor families.
BCCL/representational image
The Marriages (Compulsory Registration and Prevention of Wasteful Expenditure) Bill, 2016, may be taken up as a private member¡¯s Bill in the coming session.?
¡°Great importance should be assigned to the solemnisation of marriage between two individuals. But unfortunately, these days, a tendency of celebrating marriages with pomp and show and spending lavishly growing in the country. These days, marriages are more about showing off your wealth and as a result, poor families are under tremendous social pressure to spend more. This is needed to be checked as it is not good for society at large.¡±?
Ap/representational image
The purpose of this Bill is to prohibit extravagant and wasteful expenditure on marriages and to enforce simpler solemnisation.
The Bill seeks that ¡°If any family intends to spend more than ?5 lakh towards expenditure on marriage, such family shall declare the amount proposed to be spent in advance to the appropriate government and contribute 10% of such amount in a welfare fund which shall be established by the appropriate government to assist the poor and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families for the marriage of their daughters.¡±
PTI
Ranjeet Ranjan is the wife of MP Pappu Yadav, and had made headlines last year on International Women's Day after she went to the parliament riding a Harley Davidson superbike.