In a bid to strengthen the ties between the Bengali community and the Assamese community people in Assam, a government body has decided to offer one-time financial assistance to the couples who entered into the inter-community marriage.

Assam Linguistic Minority Development Board (ALMDB) a government body has announced that the Bengali Hindu brides or grooms in the Assam who tie the knot with Assamese Hindu partners will get financial assistance from the board.

Assam Linguistic Minority Development Board Chairman Alok Kumar Ghose has announced the new scheme in a press conference held at Mariani in Jorhat district and said that the inter-region marriages will strengthen the ties between both communities in the state.

"We are trying to provide financial assistance to the couples who entered into inter-community marriages. We are trying to help them who already entered into inter-community marriage, but they did not think about their future, some couples who have faced social boycott, etc. They should have also right to live in our society," Alok Kumar Ghose said.

He also said that the board will provide financial assistance to them and it could be Rs 20,000 or Rs 50,000.

"The amount is yet to be finalised. We are trying to strengthen the ties between the Bengali community and the Assamese community and other communities also," Alok Kumar Ghose said.

Last year, the BJP-led Assam government had announced a scheme to provide a cash incentive of Rs 30,000 or the price of one tola (10 gram) gold then to the bride if a marriage is solemnised and registered and the scheme has started from January 1 this year.

Under the scheme, the bride and her guardians (father, mother) annual income should be maximum Rs 5 lakh.

The benefit under the scheme can be availed upon formal registration of the marriages under the Special Marriage (Assam) Rules, 1954 and will reach the beneficiaries right in time for the social marriage and the Assam government will spend Rs 800 crore annually to implement the scheme.