Thandla (Jhabua): Around 296 newly-married couples and their family members were left red-faced after finding condoms and contraceptive pills in make-up boxes presented to them during Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah/Nikah Yojana held on Sunday in Thandla village of Jhabua district.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had blessed these newly-weds through video-conferencing. The incident comes barely a month after brides-to-be were forced to undergo “pregnancy tests” at a mass wedding in Dindori.
According to reports, during the event, a make-up box was gifted to every newly-married couple by the Health Department. The box contained several packets of contraceptives pills, pregnancy test kits and other family planning material along with handkerchief, comb, nail cutter, small mirror and bindi packet.
The incident hogged national limelight as the incident occurred in tribal dominated Jhabua district. Talking to Free Press on Tuesday, chief medical and health officer Dr Jaipalsingh
Thakur, clarified that following government instructions, kits were made available to the couple for family planning, in which material related to it was provided. “We received 2,000 kits from the government, which were distributing through ASHA workers. These kits have nothing to do with the Chief Minister Kanya Vivah Yojana.
It was distributed by the health department. It may be possible that we failed to tell recipients not to open the kit at the event.” Meanwhile, senior district official Bhursingh Rawat stated that they weren’t responsible for distributing the condoms and contraceptives and that it was possible that officials from the state health department distributed them as part of an awareness programme.
He added that under the Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah/Nikah Yojana scheme, only Rs 49,000 was deposited into beneficiary’s bank accounts. They were also provided food, water, and a tent, which costs Rs 6,000.
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