VISAKHAPATNAM: In a country where weddings are know to be ostentatious affairs, it will come as a surprise to many to hear that an IAS officer is going to spend just Rs 18,000 on his son’s wedding in Visakhapatnam on February 10.This is not the first time for Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) commissioner, P Basanth Kumar, to break the norm. He spent only Rs 16,100 for his daughter’s wedding that was held at Radha Soami Satsang Sabha in September 2017. In fact, Basanth Kumar had spent only Rs 2,345 on his wedding in 1988.Speaking to TOI, Basanth Kumar said his in-laws kept him waiting for a few weeks when he proposed the ‘wedding with a difference’ in 1988. “Finally, they agreed, and it was a registered marriage under the Special Marriage Act. Only 25 guests were invited for my wedding, and it cost me nearly Rs 2,345,” he said.Kumar said his son’s wedding will be held with help from his colleagues, members of Radha Soami Satsang Sabha, which otherwise would not have been possible at a cost of Rs 18,000. “Being a follower of Radha Soami Satsang, I cannot spend more than Rs 18,000 on my son’s marriage. The expenditure limit is based on the income group of a person. Now, the ceiling on the expenditure is Rs 18,000 each for my family and the girl’s family,” said Kumar.When asked how he could pull off the wedding ceremony with such low expenditure, Kumar said flowers and vegetables will be supplied by farms located in Dayalbagh Nagar in Visakhapatnam (where Radha Soami Satsang community lives) and they will be paid accordingly. “In the run up to the marriage, we will conduct a satsang on February 8. Only Rs 10 will be spent on each guest. Fortunately, 200 families located in the Dayalbagh Nagar prepared the snacks for just Rs 7 per plate. Governor ESL Narasimhan will participate in the satsang and give his blessings to the couple,” he said. The engagement would be much simpler and sweets worth rs 5 will be offered to the guests.

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