Even as a private member’s bill in Lok Sabha seeks to check "display of wealth" during extravagant weddings, the Jammu and Kashmir government has passed an order imposing curbs on expenses, the guest list and dishes to be served on wedding and other opulent functions.
Also, it has put a ban on the use of amplifiers, loud speakers and fire crackers at such events in the state.
"The government issued a Guest Control Order to impose restrictions on the injudicious use of essential commodities during social, government and private functions and a complete ban on the use of amplifiers, loud speakers and fire crackers on such occasions," Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Choudhary Zulfkar Ali said.
He told reporters here that the order was issued after the department received complaints and representations from civil society organisations regarding the "injudicious" use of essential commodities and exorbitant expenditures made on public and private functions.
The department, after taking cognisance of the complaints, issued the order, putting a complete ban on any person sending dry fruits, sweet packets with invitation cards to relatives, friends, guests etc.
Ali said the number of guests to be invited on the marriage of daughter including baraat should be restricted to a maximum of 500 and on that of son, it should not exceed 400.
"For functions like ring ceremony of son, daughter and other small events, the number of guests invited should not cross the hundred mark," the minister said.
The order restricts the number of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes to a maximum of seven each. Besides, not more than two stalls of sweets or ice cream can be set up.
The minister said the law is "same for everyone and will be applied to all, irrespective of his/her status in the society".
The order will be applicable from April 1 as the government wanted to give a buffer period of 40 days to people who have already distributed invitation cards.
Ali also asked the organisers to ensure that food items, uncooked or cooked, do not go waste during such functions.
"If there is surplus food, it should be given to the needy," he said.
No plastic or indecomposable material should be thrown in the open and the same should be collected in a separate dustbin and disposed of properly by the host or the organiser, Ali said.
Besides, the order places a complete ban on the use of big generator sets, high-pitch sound amplifiers, loud speakers, decks, profuse lightning, bursting of crackers in social as well as government functions.
The minister also urged for support from the public to make the initiative a success.
In Lok Sabha, Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan has introduced the Marriages (Compulsory Registration and Prevention of Wasteful Expenditure) Bill, 2016 to put a limit on the number of guests to be invited and dishes to be served during such functions.
The bill may be taken up as a private member's Bill in the upcoming Lok Sabha session.
According to the bill, if a family spends above Rs 5 lakh on a wedding, it has to contribute 10 per cent of the amount on marriages of girls from poor families.
(With PTI inputs)
