The Assam Cabinet has decided that Muslim marriages in the state must now be registered exclusively by a government sub-registrar, effectively ending the role of Qazis in the official registration process. This decision was announced by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday.
“Previously, Qazis were responsible for registering Muslim marriages, but this practice was halted through an ordinance issued by the state government. Today, we have decided to introduce a bill that mandates only a sub-registrar can complete the registration process of Muslim marriages,” CM Sarma stated.
He said that this change pertains solely to the legal registration process and does not affect traditional marriage rituals. “Our bill does not interfere with the diverse cultural practices of different communities. The traditional rituals will remain intact, whether it is a Hindu or a Muslim marriage,” Sarma added.
Additionally, the new law will prohibit the registration of marriages involving Muslim minors, specifically barring the registration of marriages for boys under 21 and girls under 18.
In other decisions, the Assam Cabinet has expanded the Orunoday scheme, a flagship welfare program of the state government. CM Sarma revealed that a recent survey conducted ahead of the Lok Sabha elections identified around 10 lakh women in the state who were not receiving the benefits of the Orunoday scheme. As a result, the government has decided to include 12,60,000 new beneficiaries in the program, with a target of adding at least 10,000 new beneficiaries in each assembly segment across the state.
