Cabinet to take up compulsory

The move was prompted by demands of the Sikh community to amend the Anand Marriage Act,1909,to make registration mandatory for Sikh marriages.The community has been raising the issue for long as they point out that Muslims,Parsis,Christians and Jews already have separate Acts for registration of their marriages.

The key point,however,was the problems that arose with widespread complaints about women being exploited in NRI marriages. With women unable to produce a legal document to prove their marriage,chances of legal redressal became more difficult. It was felt that registration should be delinked from the marriage and made compulsory just like birth and death. This way,officials said,marriage Acts will not be separately amended while ensuring legal protection to women.

The Supreme Court,it may be noted,had as early as 2006 ruled that all marriages,irrespective of their religion,should be compulsorily registered and directed the Centre and state governments to frame and notify rules for this.

SP men beat up revenue official,booked

A revenue officer was allegedly thrashed by supporters of former Samajwadi Party MP Baleshwar Yadav at Padrauna police station on Tuesday. Yadavs son Vijendra Pal Yadav was SP candidate from Padrauna in the Assembly election and lost to BSPs Swami Prasad Maurya.

Revenue Inspector Vipin Bihari Lal,who lodged an FIR against Yadav,said he was caught in the crossfire between two parties warring over a piece of land.

Kushinagar SP V K Garg said an FIR had been lodged against Yadav and his men for rioting.