Korba. (23:04): Due to limited auspicious dates, many marriage ceremonies are occurring simultaneously, leading to an increased risk of child marriages. To address this issue, the Women and Child Development Department has initiated a new measure. Tent operators, cooks, DJs, bands, and wedding procession organizers involved in arranging weddings must verify the age certificates of the bride and groom before accepting bookings. Failure to do so will be considered as facilitating child marriage, resulting in legal action.
Akshaya Tritiya, falling on May 10th this year, is considered auspicious for weddings. The District Administration and Women and Child Development Department are closely monitoring marriages scheduled on or before this date. Strict measures are being taken to prevent social evils like child marriage. Religious service providers, tent houses, catering, and DJ band operators have been warned against providing services without verifying age certificates. Violation of this directive will be met with legal consequences.
Service providers are ensuring strict compliance with these instructions. Child marriage is both a social evil and a legal offense. Marriage of girls under 18 and boys under 21 is considered child marriage. In rural areas, especially among tribal communities like Pandas, Birhors, and Pahari Korwa, lack of education exacerbates the consequences of child marriage, leading to malnutrition and other health issues.
Village-level child protection committees, comprising the Sarpanch as President and Village Secretary as Member Secretary along with Anganwadi workers, Mitanins, and other community members, play a crucial role in preventing child marriages and ensuring child protection.
If any information about child marriage is received, it should be immediately reported to the supervisor, child development project officer, district child protection unit, Women and Child Development Department, police station, or emergency numbers 112 or 1098. Recently, the joint efforts of the Women and Child Development Department, police, and Child Line successfully stopped two child marriages in Podi Uprora and Chotiya project areas, saving girls from becoming child brides.
District Program Officer of Women and Child Development Department, Renu Prakash, urged religious service providers, tent houses, DJ bands, and public representatives to refrain from providing services without age verification. It’s essential for everyone to support the effective prevention of child marriage to ensure the safety and protection of children in the district.
