LAHORE: The Punjab Social Welfare and Baitul Maal Department has scrutinised and sele cted 52 couples` marriages at a maiden event scheduled for Saturday (tomorrow) at a marquee on Raiwind Road.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is scheduled to attend the event as a chief guest.

The mass marriages` function is an outcome of the Chief Minister`s Dhee Rani Programme, rolled out a few months ago, to share the weddingexpenses burden of underprivileged families and enable them to fulfill this responsibility in a dignified way across the province. Minorities have also been included in this programme.

The government has allocated Rs1 billion for the programme giving a target of arranging approximately 3,000 collective marriages across the province.

The event will be organised twice a year-in December and March-keeping in view cultural and climatic conditions.

For the purpose, the finance department has already released Rs500 million to the social welfare department as a first tranche.Since the applicants are underprivileged and destitute, substantial funds willbeutilisedtoprocure JahezPackage amounting to Rs206,000. Additionally, the chief minister has announced to give Rs100,000 `Salami` to each couple through the Bank of Punjab ATM card.

The social welfare department has so far received some 4,944 applications from across the province. Some 4,930 applications were assigned to the Tehsil Verification Committees (TVCs), which paid 2,446 verification visits and verified 2,026 applications.

As many as 1,914 applications have been verified in all districts of the prov-ince. The apex Provincial Steering Committee (PSC) chaired by social welfare minister Sohail Shaukat Butt has eventually approved 52 couples` marriages 46 from Lahore and eight from Sheikhupura for the Lahore event.

The social welfare department has kept the Punjab Portal open to receive applications for collective marriages from all over the province.

The eligibility criteria for applicants and eventual selection is girls, who are destitute / orphan / persons with disabilities (PWDs) / or daughters of a PWD parent. The girls should be between 18-40 years of age and domiciled in Punjab.