Balika Sabhas, Police Vigilance Part Of Nashik's Child Marriage Prevention Plan

Nashik: To curb the social practice of child marriage, it is essential to create widespread public awareness along with community sensitisation. Therefore, an action plan must be prepared to prevent child marriages, the District Collector, Ayush Prasad, instructed the officials.

He was speaking at the quarterly meeting of the District-Level Monitoring Committee. District Women and Child Development Officer Sunil Dusane, Nashik Municipal Corporation’s Social Welfare Deputy Commissioner Nitin Ner, Child Development Project Officer Sachin Shinde, District Lead Bank Manager Bhiva Lavate, and other officials were present.

Prasad said that while preparing an action plan to prevent child marriage, locations in the district where child marriages have occurred in the past four to five years should be identified. At the village level, awareness sessions should be conducted for girls aged 12 to 17 by organising 'Balika Sabhas' (meetings for adolescent girls).

At the Gram Panchayat level, awareness should be created by communicating with children and parents during Gram Sabhas. In tribal-dominated talukas, coordinated awareness programs should be planned by the Panchayat Samiti, the Education Department, the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), the Health Department, ASHA workers, Anganwadi Sevikas, the Bharosa Cell, and the District Women and Child Development Department.

Awareness about the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign should be spread through boards displayed in schools, Anganwadi centers, bus stands, railway stations, and other public places. In urban areas, too, to prevent child marriage, the Lawns Association should be required to submit an undertaking; a draft of such a bond should be prepared and approved.

He further stated that the police administration plays a crucial role in preventing child marriage. They should remain vigilant, especially in tribal talukas during the Holi festival season, when weddings traditionally take place.