Hyderabad: Child marriage-free Narayanpet should become a collective goal for all stakeholders, District Collector C.H. Priyanka said while calling for a district-wide campaign to eradicate child marriages.
The Collector made the remarks during an awareness programme on the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. The Women Development and Child Welfare Department and Child Protection Unit organised the programme at SR Gardens in Narayanpet on Thursday.
Priyanka said development was not limited to roads and buildings. She stressed the need to improve literacy, protect children’s rights and ensure effective implementation of laws relating to women and children.
The Collector said the campaign launched under the slogan “Na Bhavishyathu – Na Sankalpam” would continue at village, mandal, division and district levels. She said the initiative aimed to ensure that every girl completed her education and married only after reaching the legal age.
Priyanka noted that Narayanpet had gained a reputation for child marriages. However, she said the district could erase that image through collective effort and sustained awareness.
Meanwhile, she reminded participants that they had legal authority to prevent child marriages. She urged them to intervene before such marriages take place. She also warned that those who encourage, facilitate or fail to report child marriages could face legal action.
Further, the Collector said individuals who promote or conceal child marriages could face imprisonment under the law. She directed officials to intensify awareness efforts across villages and remote areas.
Priyanka said many residents still lacked awareness about the Child Marriage Prohibition Act. Therefore, authorities should conduct regular campaigns to educate communities about legal consequences and child rights.
Child marriage-free Narayanpet campaign to expand across district
The Collector also warned that officials would have to explain any failure to prevent child marriages in their jurisdictions. She urged field-level officers to remain vigilant and respond immediately to information about impending child marriages.
In addition, Priyanka called on sarpanches to play an active role in preventing the practice. She announced that sarpanches who successfully prevent child marriages throughout the year would receive support for state-level recognition.
She also directed the Education Department and District Rural Development Agency to identify school dropouts and bring them back into the education system. According to her, education remains one of the strongest tools for preventing child marriages.
Priyanka said the district should aim to record zero child marriages this year. She expressed confidence that Narayanpet could earn recognition as a child marriage-free district through coordinated action.
District SP Dr. Vineeth said child marriage remains a punishable offence despite the law being in force since 2006. He expressed concern that cases continue to emerge regularly and stressed the need for social change alongside legal enforcement.
The SP said many child marriages occur in border areas. He urged parents to abandon the practice of marrying girls at an early age. He also linked child marriages to school dropouts and called for efforts to re-enrol children in schools.
Further, he stressed the need to improve livelihood opportunities for poor families. He said all stakeholders must work in mission mode to eliminate child marriages from the district.
During the programme, Child Protection Consultant David Raj from the Women and Child Development Department and NALSAR University explained the Child Marriage Prohibition Act and the POCSO Act through a presentation.