J&K govt mandates austerity in weddings, official events; max 500 guests, ban on loudspeakers

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Srinagar: Setting an example for the rest of the country, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday, announced slew of measures to put a cap on the overspending and use of essential commodities in social, government and private functions.

While announcing the restrictions, Consumer Affairs Ministry Choudhary Zulfikar Ali said, loudspeakers and firecrackers will not be permitted in any private, social and government events.

The J&K government restricted the number of guests for wedding ceremony of daughter and son to 500 and 400 respectively. 100 people will be allowed for small functions like engagement.

Not only this, even sweets and dry fruits along sent with invitation cards will not be permitted under the new rules.

The new rules will be effective from April 1.

Last week, a Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha seeking to put a limit on the number of guests to be invited and dishes to be served in weddings to check “show of wealth” and wants those spending above Rs. 5 lakh to contribute towards marriages of poor girls.

If a family spends above Rs. 5 lakh on a wedding, it has to contribute 10 percent of the amount on marriages of girls from poor families, according to the Bill introduced by Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan, wife of MP Pappu Yadav.

The Marriages (Compulsory Registration and Prevention of Wasteful Expenditure) Bill, 2016, may be taken up as a private member’s Bill in the upcoming Lok Sabha session.