Rotarians fund marriages

For 27 years now, Rotary Club of Uklana Mandi, RID 3090, has been funding the weddings of young women from disadvantaged families in the district. The Rotarians also shower the newly-weds with gifts such as utensils, mattresses, clothes, furniture and other household ­articles essential to start a home. The weddings are conducted on ­January 14 every year, commemorating Makara Sankaranti, says club secretary Sugan Chand Goyal.

This year the club, along with Rotaract Club of Uklana Mandi, helped solemnise the marriages of five young women with the grooms finalised by their respective families. The club members pitched in with ₹4.5 lakh to conduct the weddings and presented the newly-weds with household articles. DG Ghanshyam Kansal, DRR Vipul Mittal, district secretary Narayan Garg, along with RC Uklana Mandi president Vijay Garg, and the Rotaract club president Rajat Soni, attended the wedding event.

Club members Bajrang Mohan Soni, Naveen Bansal and Vijender Garg were the project chairmen. “We have solemnised the marriages of nearly 400 girls so far. Our initiative is very popular in this region,” says Goyal.