With the aim to eliminate child marriages in their districts, Collectors Vijaya Krishnan from Bapatla and Collector AS Dinesh Kumar from Ongole has asked concerned officials to identify areas where the practice is still relevant and take the required action.
At a review meeting for the Nadu-Nedu scheme of the Andhra Pradesh government, Collector Vijaya Krishnan revealed that 610 children not in school had been identified in the district and that child marriages continue to take place, particularly among girls aged 12 to 15.
The collector has ordered officials to collaborate and eradicate child marriages in the district, according to a report by The New Indian Express. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) found that the former Guntur district ranked fourth in the state for child marriages at 35.4%. Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) officials have intervened in over 50 child marriages in the past three years and have been conducting awareness campaigns and counselling programs for parents to educate them on the adverse effects of child marriages.
The officials have discovered that the financial struggles caused by the pandemic have led to a rise in child marriages, as parents are desperate to marry off their underage daughters. Vijaya Krishnan emphasised that the government is placing a high priority on education and has allocated Rs 35 crore for the development of 543 schools in the district.
She instructed officials to identify girls who have been forced into child marriages and enrol them in gurukul schools so they can continue their education. Additionally, she directed officials to educate the parents of outside school children and ensure they are enrolled in nearby schools.
Ongole tackles child marriages
Collector AS Dinesh Kumar of Ongole district held a review meeting on Wednesday, January 11, to address teenage pregnancies and the control of child marriages in the district with concerned officials. The Collector instructed officials from ICDS, DRDA, MEPMA, DMHO, and other departments to identify areas where child marriages are prevalent and take action to put an end to the illegal practice, as reported by TNIE. "You should work on controlling child marriages and simultaneously train those children as skilful individuals in any profession they prefer. Initiate disciplinary action on the local/field level government officials who didn't work properly to stop child marriages in their concerned areas," the collector ordered.
