Assam: 14-year jail term for husband if wife becomes mother at the age of 14: CM

GUWAHATI: On March 20, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma indicated during a budget session of the Assam Legislative Assembly that the government would take severe action against instances of child marriage.

The Assam Chief Minister stated in a speech to the House on the seventh day of the present budget session that the government has set aside a budget of Rs 200 crore with the goal of eliminating child marriage incidents in the state by the end of 2026.

No one will be exempt from the rule, according to CM Sarma, who further explained that anyone caught forcing a female to have children before the age of 14 or marrying off their kids before the legal marriage age will receive a 14-year prison sentence.

The husband of a girl who has a child before turning 14 will receive a 14-year prison sentence, according to CM Sarma's government.

On discussing the necessity of witnesses in child marriage cases, CM Sarma said that the POCSO Act does not require witnesses in order to obtain a conviction.

When releasing the Assam Budget 2023 on March 16, Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog noted that the state had high rates of maternal and newborn mortality because of instances of child marriage.

So, the time had come for an urgent and quick solution to put a stop to this social ill.

The budget session for the Assam Legislative Assembly is in its seventh day today, and two measures pertaining to the education department will be presented to the assembly.

A discussion on the budget will be held at the assembly after a question-and-answer period. The following two bills will be presented at the assembly:

Bill 2023 for Assam's Elementary and Secondary School Teachers

A bill from 2023 called The Assam College Workers (Provincialization Amendment)

Education Minister Ranoj Pegu of Assam will present the two proposals.

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