Shrinking the big fat Kashmiri wedding and other opulent functions, the Jammu and Kashmir government has imposed curbs on expenses, the guest list and dishes to be served on such occasions.
Also, it has put a ban on the use of amplifiers, loud speakers and fire crackers at such events in the state. “The government issued a Guest Control Order to impose restrictions on the injudicious use of essential commodities during social, government and private functions and a complete ban on the use of amplifiers, loud speakers and fire crackers on such occasions,” Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Choudhary Zulfkar Ali said.
He told reporters in Srinagar that the order was issued after the department received complaints and representations from civil society organisations regarding the “injudicious” use of essential commodities and exorbitant expenditures made on public and private functions.
Here are the new regulations which will be implemented from April 1, 2017:
- A ban on any person sending dry fruits, sweet packets with invitation cards to relatives, friends, guests
- Number of guests to be invited on the marriage of daughter including baraat should be restricted to a maximum of 500 and on that of son, it should not exceed 400
- For functions like ring ceremony of son, daughter and other small events, the number of guests invited should not cross the hundred mark
- Normally, a Kashmiri wazwan (the traditional multi-course feast for guests) consists of more than two dozen dishes which includes mostly mutton. But now, the number of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes will be restricted to a maximum of seven each.
- Not more than two stalls of sweets or ice cream can be set up
- Organisers also have to ensure food items (cooked or uncooked) shouldn’t go wasted.
- Surplus food should be given to the needy.
- No plastic or indecomposable material should be thrown in the open and the same should be collected in a separate dustbin and disposed of properly by the host or the organiser.
- A complete ban on the use of big generator sets, high-pitch sound amplifiers, loud speakers, decks, profuse lightning, bursting of crackers in social as well as government functions
(Feature image source: PTI| Pinterest)