TIRUCHY: The social welfare department has roped in village administrative officers (VAO) to prevent child marriages as the term of Village Level Child Protection Committees (VLCPC), which function under panchayats, has expired.
In an effort to prevent child marriages, the government formed VLCPCs, comprising representatives from local bodies, VAOs and school headmasters to safeguard children. With the tenure of rural local bodies getting over, there is currently no elected panchayat president.
As a result, the only ray of hope for social welfare officials to monitor child marriages is VAOs. With several child marriages being reported at regular intervals in specific blocks, VAOs, who are constantly in touch with people, have been asked to closely monitor developments in the neighbourhood and immediately report to authorities if they come to know about child marriage plans.
According to data shared by social welfare department, 52 child marriages were conducted in the district in 2024, while 70 were successfully stopped. Among the 122 (52+70) cases, 80 were arranged marriages and the remaining 42 involved elopement. For the period January 2025 - June 2025, a total of 22 child marriages were conducted and 32 were prevented. Of the 54 (22+32) cases recorded, 40 were arranged marriages and 14 were elopement cases.
Although the overall numbers are lower compared to the previous year, several blocks, including Marungapuri, Manapparai and Vaiyampatti, and the outskirts of Tiruchy city continue to report similar numbers. "Compared to other areas, the number of cases remains steady in a few blocks in the district. Moreover, the muhurtham (auspicious) dates typically fall during the Tamil months of Aani and Aavani," and chances are more for the conduct of child marriage during the period," a senior official noted.
Taking these factors into account, the social welfare department recently conducted a meeting with VAOs in Tiruchy and formally included them in the process of preventing child marriages more effectively. "Since VAOs have direct access to monitor residents within their jurisdiction, we have asked them to remain extremely cautious and vigilant in this matter," said A Vijayalakshmi, district social welfare officer.
Once a VAO receives information about a potential child marriage, they will have to notify the district child protection officer (DCPO), who will visit the location along with the concerned VAO, Childline representatives, and police officials to take necessary action, she added.