Bhubaneswar, December 23: Reiterating the State Government’s commitment to providing a healthy, progressive, and superstition-free society for future generations, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on Tuesday asked Government officials to proactively visit villages and households to create awareness against superstition and social evils.

Addressing a state-level workshop on the Prevention of Witch-Hunting and Prohibition of Child Marriage, organised by the Women and Child Development (W&CD) Department here, Parida said social equality forms the core of Viksit Odisha.

“Education and sustained awareness are the most powerful tools to eradicate regressive practices such as witch-hunting and child marriage. I urge all officials to proactively visit villages and households to create awareness against superstition and social evils,” said Parida, who also holds the Women and Child Development, portfolio.

W&CD Secretary Shubha Sharma, Director Monisha Banerjee all the 314 Block Development Officers (BDOs), District Education Officers, Project Officers (PO-cum-PO), Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs), and District Coordinators (DHEW) attended the workshop.

Principal Secretary Sharma underlined the importance of combining legal enforcement with mass awareness to effectively combat social evils.

She highlighted various departmental initiatives and emphasized collective action as the key to eliminating such inhuman practices from society.

Eminent lawyer and social activist Manasi Padhi, social activist Benudhar Senapati graced the technical sessions and elaborated on the Odisha Prevention of Witch-Hunting Act, 2013 and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, respectively, providing detailed legal insights and implementation strategies.