Maha govt forms committee to gather information on inter-caste, inter-faith couples

Maharashtra government has set up a committee to gather information about the inter-caste or inter-faith marriage couples and the maternal families of the women involved if they are estranged.

The Government Resolution (GR) issued on Tuesday by the state’s Women and Child Development Department said the Intercaste/Interfaith marriage-family coordination committee (state level) will be headed by state Women and Child Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha.

The committee will monitor district-level initiatives for women involved in such marriages who may be estranged from their families, so that assistance can be provided if necessary, it said.

The committee will be a platform for women and their families to avail counselling and resolve issues, the GR said, adding that the panel will have 13 members from government and non-government fields to study policies of the state and central government regarding welfare schemes and laws related to the matter.

The committee will hold regular meetings with district officials and collect information of registered and unregistered inter-faith and Inter-caste marriages; on such marriage that took place in places of worship and marriages took place after elopement.

Last month, minister Lodha had asked the State Women’s Commission to set up a special squad to identify women who married without family support and are estranged from them. This decision was taken in view of the Shraddha Walkar murder case.