Administrative apathy favours child marriage in Sukinda region

Jajpur, April 18: Administrative apathy has been favouring child marriage in Sukinda area in Jajpur district. As per the survey of a social organisation as many as 101 child marriages were held during March 2020-2021 The Child Development Project Officer of Sukinda and Danagadi block have indicated towards non-cooperation of police in time for it. According to them, the office collects information from rural Jajpur regarding child marriages by the Anganawadi workers. The department ventures to the spot to stop the marriage. However, the informant and the enforcement teams are very often man handled by public duo to non-cooperation of local police. The police do not arrive in time. Meanwhile, the illegal marriage gets almost winded off before any enforcement. As a result, as many as 35 marriages were held within Sukinda,Danagadi and Sukindagada panchayat near Kalinga Nagar industrial estate. On the other hand, as per the survey of Aspire, a social organisation engaged in this context, as many as 101 child marriages were held during March 2020-2021. Out of which 77 cases occurred in Danagadi block. As many as 29 marriages were checked by enforcement. At the same time, 58 early marriages were stopped due to the intervention of the Child-line and social activists. Significantly, some parents have arranged the same marriages later with tampering the age of the couple. Notably, 81 minor girls have got married dropping their studies out within class VI and class X, said the report. Thus, the situation of child marriage evil is going out of administration’s hand. Not only enforcement but also mass sensitization in a massive scale can do away with the social taboo, say social activists.