BALANGIR: In a move to check child marriages in Sonepur, the district administration has sought the support of tent house suppliers and temple priests to stop the menace.In a letter to different tent house owners and temple management committees, Collector Dasarathi Satapathy on Wednesday urged them to boycott marriages of minor girls and report the matter to police.
The Collector, in the letter, said, “The children play a major role in the development of a nation. But it has been seen that on several occasions, the children are forced to get married before attaining adulthood. This results in infanticides and maternal deaths. Child marriage has surfaced as a major challenge in Sonepur district.”
Any man who enters into wedlock with a girl less than 18 years of age or anyone who directs or conducts a child marriage ceremony can be punished with up to two years of imprisonment or a fine up to `0ne lakh, the letter read.
The priests, tent house owners and temple authorities, who form an integral part of marriages, are requested not to co-operate and discourage child marriage. “If any such case comes to their notice, they should inform the CDPO concerned, District Child Protection Unit, Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Childline or local Sarpanch,” he added.Many tent house owners have appreciated the move and come out in support of the campaign.