Jamshedpur, May 18: Christian priests or clergymen will not have to wait for long to get a licence for solemnising marriage in churches across the state.

The state government has constituted a committee, chaired by Y. Kandulna sub-registrar of East Singhbhum, for amending the necessary sections (sections 6 and 9) of the Indian Christian Marriage Act,1872, which will reduce the time for granting licences to clergymen.

The process of granting licence in the existing system takes a minimum of six months. Under the existing system, a Christian priest is required to apply for a licence with the deputy commissioner’s office which is later forwarded to the state cabinet through the office of inspector-general (registration).

With the amendment, the inspector-general (registration) will be the final authority in granting licences. This will, in effect, reduce the time in granting licence to Christian priests.

Officials of the registration department revealed that in the past, priests had to be borrowed from other churches for solemnising marriages.

“Keeping such problems in mind, it was decided to simplify the act through the amendment of sections 6 and 9 of the act. The committee is working in this direction and would soon recommend necessary changes in the act,” said Kandulna.