Condoms, birth control pills in 'wedding kit' trigger row in Madhya Pradesh; check details

According to reports, senior district official Bhursingh Rawat allegedly blamed the state health department for distributed condoms and contraceptives as part of an awareness programme related to family planning.

A mass wedding event, organised by the state governmnt, was recently held in Jhabua district, Madhya Pradesh for economically weaker sections and got embroiled in a controversy after over 200 newly-wed couples were gifted make-up boxes containing condoms and contraceptive pills.

The event was organised under Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah/Nikah Yojana in Thandla where as many as 296 couples got married. According to reports, senior district official Bhursingh Rawat allegedly blamed the state health department for distributed condoms and contraceptives as part of an awareness programme related to family planning.

Speaking to a news agency, Rawat said, "We are not responsible for distributing condoms and contraceptive pills. There is no provision in the Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah for the provision of such a kit. We have told the local administration officials to keep a check on this in future and conduct a door-to-door campaign instead of distributing condoms at a mass wedding event. This is a tribal area with low literacy rate. People don’t have a lot of scientific temperament, so keeping that in view we will make sure this doesn’t happen again."

In April 2006, the Madhya Pradesh government launched the Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah/Nikah Yojana to provide financial assistance for the weddings of women from economically weaker sections. Under this scheme, the state government provides Rs 55,000 to the bride's family.

Recently, the scheme came under fire after some brides were allegedly made to take pregnancy tests at a mass wedding event in Gadsarai area of Dindori. A woman whose pregnancy test came back positive said she had been living with her fiance before the wedding.