HT Correspondent
TEZPUR, Oct 25: District commissioner Ankur Bharali, chaired a district-level, one-day multi-stakeholder consultation program on ‘’Ending Child Marriage and Reducing Teenage Pregnancy to Zero’, organised by Sankalp – Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW) and the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) under the Women and Child Development Department, Assam, in technical collaboration with UNICEF. The event was held on Thursday at the Conference Hall of the District Commissioner’s Office, Sonitpur.
Delivering the keynote address, district commissioner Bharali urged all relevant departments to intensify efforts to eliminate child marriage and reduce teenage pregnancy. He highlighted the various social and economic factors contributing to child marriage and outlined the government’s actions, including last year’s law enforcement drives, which raised mass awareness and sent a strong message to society. He also emphasised the Chief Minister’s Nijut Moina scheme, designed to incentivise girls to continue their education and deter early marriage by providing financial support. Bharali also directed the concerned departments to train Gaon Panchayat secretaries, who serve as child marriage prohibition officers at the village level. Additional superintendent of police (Crime) Moushumi Kalita briefed the gathering on the legal measures and police efforts to curb child marriage, particularly last year’s police drive against the practice. She noted that in 2023, 86 cases were registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012, and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006, in the district. Joint director of Health Services, Dr Rupak Baruah, provided an overview of the health department’s initiatives to prevent teenage pregnancy, highlighting various awareness programs conducted in the district.
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Ashis Sarkar, a technical consultant from UNICEF attached to the WCD Department, Assam, gave a presentation on the background and objectives of the consultation. Following the presentation, an open house session was led by additional district commissioner (WCD) Dyotiva Bora, allowing dignitaries to share their views and suggestions. The session concluded with the identification of key action points for developing a district action plan. The meeting was attended by Bidyot Hazarika, district social welfare officer, Sonitpur; gender specialist, DHEW, Sonitpur; district programme coordinator, DHEW, Sonitpur; district information & public relations officer, DPM of NHM, chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee, and representatives from the Education Department, Labour, DLSA, ASRLM, DCPU, and other concerned stakeholders.
