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GUWAHATI: The state government of Assam has announced the commencement of the "Mission for Prevention of Child Marriage" with a budget allocation of Rs 200 crore in an effort to eradicate child marriage incidents in the state by the year 2026.
Ajanta Neog, the finance minister for Assam, stated that child marriage is one of the major causes of the state's high rates of maternal and infant mortality. As a result, preventing child marriages in the state has become not only necessary but urgent.
“We have been honestly working to address these issues, and we expect to lower infant and maternal death rates from 49 in 2014 to 36 in 2020, and from 237 in 2014 to 195 in 2018 to 20. One of the main causes of our high IMR and MMR has been child marriage. In this case, sir, I would want to emphasise how urgent it is to stop child weddings in the state”, she stated.
“The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) 2006 has been widely enforced by our government since it was passed earlier this year. In order to support these efforts, our administration is committed to launching this state mission with the goal of eliminating child marriage in Assam by the end of 2026”, Ajanta Neog stated this during the Assam Budget Session.
The Assam government has designated all gram panchayat secretaries as Child Marriage Prevention Officers, she added. They will make sure that child marriage is forbidden, that victims are protected, and that criminals are brought to justice by filing FIRs.
In order to pursue the appropriate legal action against criminals, the finance minister also said that all district police units will continue to run rigorous drives every six months.
This mission will pay particular attention to victim rehabilitation, institution building, helpline implementation, and surveillance. To keep track of the complaints, a call center would be established, Minister Neog stated.
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