The rising number of coronavirus cases in East Midnapore have put a damper on weddings starting mid June, when Unlock 1.0 had brought a glimmer of hope to the thousands of weddings stalled since April.

The district, which recorded more than half of its confirmed 1,433 cases in June and July, has seen a dwindling number of formalised marriages as of late July despite the applications having risen in early June.

The Telegraph had reported in mid-April how the lockdown, by closing down marriage registration offices, had hampered the vital “Baisakh” season for Bengali marriages, and had consequently created a backlog for offices during Unlock 1.0.

“The statistics are not exhaustive, but according to figures with the Rupashree Prakalpa scheme, out of 2,775 applications submitted since mid-June, only 788 marriages were finalised as of this week,” said a district official, referring to the state’s 2018 dole scheme for financially weaker parents to get their adult daughters married.

Sources said the scheme was equipped with a vigorous verification, all of which was followed for June and July applicants.

“Still, less than half of the applications went through. This is because many people are apprehensive about the worsening public health situation, whereas many others are financially worse off compared to a few months ago,” the official added, referring to the 1,987 applicants who had postponed the marriage.

Eighteen blocks and five municipalities in the district are currently marked as containment zones.

“Operations have resumed but we are far from being fully functional. Still, we are trying our best to conduct weddings under the Rupashree scheme for financially weaker sections,” said welfare officer Purnendu Puranik.

Smritilekha Dey, a homemaker from Tamluk, said her niece had been planning to get married in July after an initial postponement from July but the renewed lockdown, and imposition of containment zones, had led them to step back again.

“Tamluk as well as Howrah, where the groom lives, are both locked down. It doesn’t make sense to conduct a wedding in this atmosphere,” Dey added.

Marriage officer from Haldia, Sheikh Asraful, said Rupashree applications had also dwindled in July compared to June. “I received 20 in June, five of which were approved. The remaining 15 have all pulled out till August.”

The Rupashree Prakalpa requires applicants with an annual income of less than Rs 1.5 lakh to submit their applications to district officials at least a month in advance of their daughters’ proposed weddings.

After that, a verification committee visits the home and neighbourhood before dispatching the Rs 25,000 dole.

“We are keeping the state government officials duly informed of the scheme’s activities during the current crisis,” added Purnendu Pouranik, referring to state officials’ scant sources of marriage data during the lockdown period.