Govt. ensures steps to prevent child marriages on Akshaya Tritiya

Bhopal: Like every year, Madhya Pradesh Government will ensure efforts to prevent child marriages on Akshaya Tritiya on May 13 this year also. The State Government is conducting Lado Abhiyan to prevent child marriages throughout the year. Orders have already been issued to all the district collectors to ensure strict action in this regard.

In letters sent to collectors, their attention has been drawn to the dates on which large number of mass marriages are solemnised. These include Akshaya Tritiya or Akha Teej on May 13 this year. On this day, some child marriages are also solemnised in the garb of mass marriages. District administration’s alertness and strict steps initiated by it can prevent child marriages. People’s representatives and NGOs have also been made partners in this important campaign for preventing child marriages.
The government has asked the collectors to make arrangements in their respective districts to ensure that no child marriage takes place in any case. For this, cooperation of those influential people/groups should be sought who play important role in marriage programmes. Effective publicity should be ensured about the message to common people regarding disadvantages of marriage at tender age. Collectors have also been directed to seek media’s assistance in this.
The collectors have been asked to dissuade people from child marriages by disseminating information about schemes being implemented in favour of girls by the State Government. Collectors and CEOs have been asked to provide lists of all the girls below 18 years of age to sarpanchas and fix accountability for ensuring that child marriages are not solemnised. Corporators in urban areas and sarpanchas in villages have been asked to remain alert vis-à-vis mass marriage functions. They have been asked to ensure once again after Akshaya Tritiya that no child marriage has been solemnised.
Orientation of all the public representatives/religious representatives/prominent persons is being undertaken for prevention of child marriages. Instructions have been given to publicise phone numbers of officers accountable for preventing child marriages. Prompt legal action should be taken on receipt of information of child marriage anywhere in the district. Collectors have been asked to issue necessary directives from their level to subordinate staff regarding this.
The district collectors have been informed that they are also Chief Marriage Prevention Officers in district under Prevention of Child Marriage Act-2006.