Bhubaneswar, April 22: A large-scale mass marriage programme was conducted across 27 districts of Odisha on Tuesday under the Chief Minister’s Kanya Vivaha Yojana, with nearly 1,000 couples entering wedlock in a single day. The initiative marks a significant achievement for the Department of Women and Child Development.

In Balasore, the district-level ceremony was organised at Padmavati Amusement Water Park under the joint initiative of the district administration and implementing agencies. Deputy Chief Minister and Women & Child Development Minister Pravati Parida attended the event as the chief guest and extended her greetings and blessings to 56 newly married couples.

Addressing the gathering, Parida expressed happiness over the successful organisation of the programme and called upon parents and the younger generation to work together to eliminate social evils such as child marriage and the dowry system.

Among those present were MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Government Deputy Chief Whip Gobinda Chandra Das, State Women’s Commission Chairperson Shobhana Mohanty, local MLAs, District Collector Suryabanshi Mayur Vikas, and several administrative officials, who also conveyed their best wishes to the couples.

The primary objective of the Kanya Vivaha Yojana is to support families facing financial difficulties or social pressure in arranging marriages for their daughters. Under the scheme, financial assistance of ₹60,000 is provided for each eligible bride. Of this amount, ₹45,000 is directly transferred to the beneficiary’s bank account through DBT, while the remaining ₹15,000 is utilised for organising and managing the wedding ceremony.