Widow remarriage incentive scheme launched in Jharkhand; 1st in nation

Ranchi: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the nation, Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren launched the 'Vidhwa Punarvivah Protsahan Yojana' (widow remarriage incentive scheme) on Wednesday, under which women who choose to marry again after the death of their husbands will receive a Rs 2 lakh government incentive.

According to officials, the beneficiary must be of marriageable age and not a government employee, pensioner, or income taxpayer. To be eligible for benefits, the beneficiary must apply within one year of remarriage and provide her late husband's death certificate.

According to them, the system excludes government personnel, pensioners, and income taxpayers. Manoj Kumar, Secretary of Child Development and Social Welfare, stated that women who are alone in society after the death of their life partners are helpless and can start over. He stated that the state will provide financial assistance to all such widows who wish to remarry, New Indian Express reported.

“In order to empower the women, Vidhwa Punarvivah Protsahan Yojana’ was launched by Chief Minister Champai Soren on Wednesday under which Rs 2 lakh is being provided to the widows getting married again. The scheme will give a boost to the self-confidence of widows and change the social opinion towards the remarriage of the women” added Kumar.

He stated that the chief minister awarded a total of Rs 14 lakh to seven scheme beneficiaries during an event held on Wednesday at Tana Bhagat Indoor Stadium in Ranchi.

The CM also stated that Anganwadi workers will now be paid an honorarium of Rs 9,500 per month, while assistants will receive Rs 4750. During the programme, the CM transferred the first instalment of the old age pension to the bank accounts of 1,58,218 persons.