Assam Cracks Down on Polygamy: No Govt Jobs, No Welfare Benefits For Men Practising Polygamy

New Delhi: In a major policy announcement, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that people practising polygamy will be barred from availing government welfare benefits and schemes, while government employees found indulging in the practice will face immediate suspension.

Addressing the Assembly during the Budget Session, Sarma said that, for the first time, the state government has decided to link eligibility for government benefits with adherence to the proposed anti-polygamy policy. The move is aimed at discouraging the practice of polygamy and strengthening social reforms in the state.

The Chief Minister also announced that individuals with criminal antecedents will not be eligible for government welfare schemes and benefits, irrespective of gender. "Any person who indulges in polygamy will not get any government benefits or schemes. If he is a government employee, he will immediately be suspended from his job. Similarly, anyone with criminal antecedents will not receive government benefits or schemes," Sarma said.

The latest announcement comes as the Assam government pushes ahead with its proposed anti-polygamy legislation. The state has already drafted the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, which seeks to make polygamy a cognisable and non-bailable offence. 

Under the proposed law, contracting a second marriage during the subsistence of the first could attract up to seven years' imprisonment and a fine. The punishment may extend to ten years if the accused conceals an existing marriage while entering into another marriage.

The proposed legislation is also expected to hold those who knowingly facilitate or solemnise an illegal polygamous marriage accountable. The government has maintained that the Bill is intended to promote gender justice and ensure equal rights for women while remaining within the constitutional framework.

The announcement marks another significant step in the Assam government's broader legal and social reform agenda, with the state signalling that stricter enforcement measures and disincentives will accompany the proposed anti-polygamy law.

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