The government has debunked several messages doing the rounds on social media in recent days

No, the government has not ordered any kind of payment as COVID funding to any citizen as being circulated on messaging app WhatsApp nor has it allowed an increased number of guests to attend weddings in Delhi.

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has clarified that a message being circulated on WhatsApp claiming that the government is paying around Rs 1,30,000 as COVID funding to all citizens above 18 years of age is a ‘fake’ message.

The government information agency operated by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) in a tweet said that the government has not made any announcement of the kind.

PIB Fact Check wrote, “Claim: A message circulating on #WhatsApp claims that the Government has ordered payment of Rs 1,30,000 as #Covid funding to all citizens above the age of 18. #PIBFactCheck: The claim is #Fake. No such announcement has been made by the government.”


PIB also posted an image showing what the message looks like and discarded it, pointing out it was ‘fake.’

The government agency also debunked another piece of information doing rounds on social media in which it is claimed that the Ministry of Home Affairs has allowed an increased number of 100 guests to attend a wedding in Delhi. It says that it has been increased from the existing cap of 50 guests.

A screenshot of an order issued allegedly by the MHA says that the permission to allow 100 guests at a wedding in Delhi has been granted. However, the PIB has cast off the message saying that the alleged order is fake and the ministry has not issued any such order.

In a tweet, it said, “An office order allegedly issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs claims that the number of guests permitted in wedding functions in Delhi is being increased from 50 to 100. #PIBFactCheck: This claim in #Fake. No such order has been issued by the @HMOIndia.”

In fact, the Delhi Government last week revoked its own order allowing 200 guests to attend wedding ceremonies and put the cap on 50 guests as the cases of infections continued to rise in the National Capital.

The order was issued after Lt Governor Anil Baijal approved the Arvind Kejriwal government’s proposal to introduce a new limit of only 50 guests in any wedding ceremony.

On the other hand, the Uttar Pradesh government released a fresh order to allow 100 guests to attend a marriage function. The number of the guests in UP was cut to half from the earlier 200 as COVID-19 cases saw a resurgence in North India during the onset of winters.