IAS couple spends `500 on no-frills court marriage

HYDERABAD: Amid reports of Karnataka mining tycoon Gali Janardhan Reddy spending over `500 crore on his daughter’s wedding, an IAS officer from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh has set an example by spending just `500 on her marriage.

Vijayawada sub-collector Dr Saloni Sidana married Ashish Vashishta, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, on Monday by paying a court fee of `500 in the office of Bhind additional district magistrate.

And within 48 hours, Sidana was back to her duty in Vijayawada, reporting to Krishna district collector A Babu.

“It was really a pleasant surprise to all of us. She has shown an example to all of us at a time when the currency crisis has hit the entire nation,” a junior official in the chief minister’s office said.

Sidana, however, does not consider it something that should be publicised. “I don’t think there is anything unusual about it. It was purely a personal affair and hence we wanted to have it in a very simple manner. In fact, my husband also returned to the duty on Wednesday itself,” she told Hindustan Times.

“We also had a simple marriage ceremony as per our customs apart from registering it (in court),” she said.

Apart from their family members, a few close relatives of the couple were present at their wedding. Asked whether the couple would like to throw a party for their friends and relatives, Sidana laughed and said: “We have not planned it so far. Maybe, we would do it later.”