Though marriages can be now registered at your local municipal ward office, the facility does not stand for Parsis and Christians. Persons from the two communities can’t benefit from the new service, and will still have to visit the Old Custom House in Fort or the marriage registrar’s office at Bandra to register their nuptials.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will not be registering marriages of Parsis and Christians as they are registered under a special marriage act. Whereas, the civic body is able to register only those marriages which happen as per vedic rituals. It’s usually the Hindus, Muslims, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhist, who get married as per vedic rituals.
“The Maharashtra Registration of Marriage Bureaus and Registration of Marriages Act, 1998, covers only Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist marriages. Parsi, Christian and inter-religious marriages have to be registered only at the office of the state government’s marriage registrar as they are registered under a special marriage act,” said Dr Girish Ambe, civic executive health officer.
Dinshaw Mehta from the Parsi Panchayat declined to comment on the issue. “I am not aware about what the BMC’s actual decision is. I look into it and only then comment,” Mehta said.
However, for others who wish to obtain their marriage certificates from the municipal ward office, the BMC will charge a processing fee. “The basic amount is Rs100. If they register within 90 days after marriage, they will have to pay Rs150. Those registering after 90 days and within a year will have to pay Rs200 and if they apply for a marriage certificate after a year of getting married, they will have to pay Rs300," said Manisha Mhaiskar, additional municipal commissioner.
The civic body has appointed two people in each ward to register marriages and they were given training for the same on Thursday.
(With inputs from Linah Baliga)
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