By Sanu George
Palakkad (Kerala), May 15 (IANS): Is marrying off girls from a village part of corporate social responsibility?

For the head of the Sobha Group it is. India and Middle East based business honcho from Kerala, P.N.C Menon, who heads the Sobha Group, held community marriages on Friday, helping 19 village girls to get married.

The girls are from two villages the group head has adopted. With its head office in Bangalore, the Sobha group is one of the leading real estate developers in India and the Middle East.

The latest marriages have taken the total to 468 since the group started the practice in 2003.

Speaking to IANS, V.A.Gangadharan, head of the Social Empowerment Department of Sobha Group, said the girls who come under this programme have to hail from the Vadakkenchery and Kizhakkenchery grama panchayats, which have been adopted by Menon. The group head could not attend the event this time.

The girls are selected by looking at the financial position of their families. Each girl is given around five sovereigns of gold, basic items necessary for a family and dress materials, according to Gangadharan. The marriages are held in the traditional manner and the girls may belong to any community.

The event is held twice a year, in May and December.