Arya News - As part of the Punjab Government’s ongoing campaign to prevent child marriages, two such incidents were successfully averted recently in the Gurdaspur district.
CHANDIGARH – As part of the Punjab Government’s ongoing campaign to prevent child marriages, two such incidents were successfully averted recently in the Gurdaspur district.
Sharing this information, Punjab Cabinet Minister for Social Security, Women and Child Development, Dr Baljit Kaur, said that swift and coordinated action by the district administration, police department, District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), village-level Child Welfare Committees, and Child Helpline teams led to the prevention of two child marriages in the villages of Sahane Chak (Block Kalanaur) and Gandhian Paniar (Block Gurdaspur).
Kaur emphasized that under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, it is a punishable offence to marry a girl below the age of 18 or a boy below the age of 21.
Upon receiving information about the planned weddings, immediate intervention was carried out. Both families were counselled in detail about the legal consequences and the harmful effects of child marriage on the children’s health, education, and future.
The Cabinet Minister further stated that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government is making sustained efforts to eliminate child marriages from the state.
She added that consistent awareness campaigns are being conducted to uproot this social evil, and with active public cooperation, Punjab will emerge as a progressive state that ensures a safe and promising future for its children.
The families assured officials of their cooperation and agreed to postpone the weddings until the children reach the legal age of marriage. Villagers and family members were also made aware of the Child Helpline number 1098 for reporting such incidents in the future.
Kaur urged the public to remain vigilant and to immediately report any information regarding child marriages to the Child Helpline 1098 or the nearest police station. She assured that the identity of the informant would be kept strictly confidential.