Kerala - Malappuram   

Rehabilitation scheme for women

MALAPPURAM: The Nilambur grama panchayat will launch a scheme to protect lonely and estranged women as part of rolling out the third phase of its dowry-free village project.

Union Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran will inaugurate the scheme, Sahaja, at a function at Nilambur on Sundays.

Six pairs will enter into wedlock without any dowry at a mass wedding ceremony at the function. Forest Minister Benoy Viswom will be the chief guest at the wedding. Aryadan Mohammed, MLA, will also attend. Women who are lonely, estranged, abandoned, or unmarried (above 25 years of age) will be the beneficiaries of the Sahaja scheme, said Aryadan Shoukath, Nilambur panchayat president, here on Saturday.

Mr. Shoukath said the beneficiaries would get free health care under the scheme. Health cards will be distributed to them. Those seeking treatment at Government Taluk Hospital will get free medicines from the Neeti medical store.

“Already we got 1,100 applications. We'll consider all of them,” Mr. Shoukath said.

He said Nilambur was the first panchayat to implement such a health scheme for estranged and lonely women.

He said a good portion of the Gulf money flowing to Malappuram district was being spent for dowry. “A study we conducted showed that up to Rs.24 crore was being spent for dowry a year in Nilambur panchayat alone,” he said.

The study showed that over 80 of the bank loans availed in Nilambur was being used for dowry. “Nilambur is a classic and typical sample for the entire Malappuram district.”

Until 17 months ago, 85 per cent of the marriages held in Nilambur were dowry weddings. “But today, in one-and-a-half years after we launched the dowry-free village project, we could lower the figure of dowry marriages to 42 per cent,” Mr. Shoukath said.

Musthafa Kalathumpadikkal, Nilambur panchayat member; and Paloli Mehaboob, Nilambur panchayat welfare standing committee chairman, accompanied Mr. Shoukath.

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