Berhampur: Gajapati district administration foiled a child marriage in Paralakhemundi by stopping the marriage of a 17-year-old girl with a man over 30, on Wednesday. The girl was rescued by an official team and produced before the district child welfare committee.“Her parents have given an undertaking not to marry her off till she attains 18 years and allow her to pursue her studies,” said Arun Kumar Tripathy, district child protection officer (DCPO), Gajapati. The girl is currently a Class X student. Legal action would be initiated against them if they violated the undertaking, he added.Acting on a tip-off, a team of the district administration, including the police, child marriage prevention officer of the block and officials of district child protection officer, Paralakhemundi, rushed to the girl’s house to stop the marriage.The parents, who were firm to solemnise the marriage, agreed to defer it after the team members convinced them about the legal consequences of child marriage, he said.Local anganwadi workers will keep an eye on them while DCPO, other officials and activists will visit her house frequently to counsel the parents, the girl and to create awareness among other adolescent girls advising her not to marry before 18 years. They will also encourage the girl to continue their studies.Despite the district being declared child marriage free, we have continued to create awareness among people about the ill-effects of child marriage through different forums. The govt has also laid down guidelines to be followed by a village or urban area to be declared child marriage-free, said Tripathy.Gajapati was the second district in the state after Ganjam declared as the child marriage-free on Feb 16, 2023. Ganjam district was declared child marriage free on Jan 3, 2022.
