Govt will give highest priority to the issue; State-wide campaign planned
PNS | VIJAYAWADA
Chief Secretary Dr KS Jawahar Reddy has said that campaigns and awareness programmes will be undertaken soon to control child marriages across the State. He discussed the matter with the representatives of UNICEF at Velagapudi secretariat on Wednesday.
On the occasion, the CS said it was not possible to reduce the number of maternal deaths (Maternal Mortality Rate) if child marriage was not controlled. That is why the government will give the highest priority to the issue and soon a State-wide campaign will be conducted.
The CS reiterated that awareness programmes would be undertaken and measures taken to identify the girls who have dropped out of school and bring them back to school. He said that the government has already undertaken many programmes to promote girls’ education and to end child marriages, appropriate steps are being taken to ensure that government junior colleges for girls are available to the mandal.
CS Jawahar Reddy made it clear that there is a need to set up a special toll free number to complain if child marriages are taking place anywhere. He also said that marriage registrations have been made mandatory as part of the control of child marriages. He said that a meeting will be held in two days with the officials of the concerned departments at the state level to create awareness on strictly implementing the guidelines related to the control of child marriages.
G Jayalakshmi, Principal Secretary for Women, Children and Senior Citizens said that guidelines are being prepared for the control of child marriages.
Hyderabad UNICEF Chief Dr Zelalem B Taffesse said that there is a need to create widespread awareness among people against child marriages.
Child Protection Officer Muralikrishna said that so far 700 district officials and 500 Women Development and Child Welfare Department officials have been trained. He said that there is a need to pay special attention to the rural areas and remote tribal areas.
SBC specialist Seema Kumar said that meetings should be held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary at the State-level and the District Collector at the district-level on the control of child marriages and the officials should issue appropriate instructions to all. He said that steps are being taken for training and orientation programmes for various line department officials in this regard. He also said that measures should be taken for wide publicity through social media.
