VIJAYAWADA: The benefits of government schemes will not be given to those who get married below the age of 18 in Andhra Pradesh.
Chief Secretary K.S. Jawahar Reddy said the government would take firm steps to prevent child marriages, for both boys and girls and create awareness among the people against underage marriages.
The CS reviewed the inter-departmental strategy with officials of various departments vis-a-vis the campaign to control child marriage, at a meeting held at the secretariat on Friday.
The regulations related to the AP Prohibition of Child Marriages Rules-2012 and 2023 should be strictly implemented. The departments of women and child welfare, SERP, education, and health have to work in close coordination, he said.
According to the new rules, child marriage prohibition officers (CMPOs) will be appointed at various levels and given specific duties and powers to ensure that child marriages do not take place in their jurisdiction.
He said child marriage control monitoring committees should be set up at the village and ward secretariat levels under the chairmanship of the sarpanch or ward councillor and include ward secretary, village, ward revenue officer, ANM, women police, self-help group member, local school teacher or headmaster and local NGOs as members.
Strict steps should be taken to control child marriages. The government staff is fully available at the village level. If child marriage takes place in any village, the concerned village and ward secretaries should be held responsible and action should be taken against them, Jawahar Reddy said.
