The Dehradun district administration has simplified the process of getting approval for allowing up to 50 guests in a wedding function after a large number of people approached the administration within the last three days.

Though several weddings have evidently got postponed due to the sudden rise in Covid-19 cases in the district, many are still looking forward to conducting ceremonies during the second wave of the pandemic which can also be a medium for the spread of the virus.

Due to this, the administration recently issued orders that those who wish to organise wedding functions will have to apply with an application to the city magistrate or the sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) of their respective areas for the approval of up to 50 guests.

Informing about this, the Dehradun city magistrate Kusum Chauhan said that initially, the district administration had planned to forward the application to police for certain procedures but since a large number of people started approaching the administration for the approval of the wedding functions, the administration is trying to approve the application the same day on the basis of the provided information. She said that though maximum 50 guests are allowed in a wedding function, people are applying for the approval of fewer numbers of guests too like 20 or 30 guests.

As per the city magistrate, the administration has received about 150 applications within the last three days and most of them have got the approval. She informed that the administration is only allowing the applications for the wedding functions which are scheduled to take place by May 5. Till further orders, no application is being accepted by the administration for the approval of functions which are scheduled to take place after May 5, said Chauhan.

Meanwhile, many people seem reluctant to apply for the administration's approval to organise wedding functions. "We have planned to invite only about 30 guests for my son's wedding. I don't think that it is necessary to get the approval for such a small number of guests," said a Sahastradhara Road resident. Responding to this, the city magistrate said that the administration is taking all the details from the applicants like the time and venue of the wedding function besides the list of the names of the guests along with other details. If anyone is found to be conducting a wedding function with various guests without the permission of the administration, the authorities will take action against the organisers under the relevant laws, stated Chauhan.