The Maharashtra Department of Women and Child Development successfully averted 13 child marriages during Akshaya Tritiya by implementing preventive measures. Recognizing the significance of the day in the Hindu calendar for weddings, the department, led by Minister Meghna Bordikar, organized online coordination and guidance to ensure prompt action. Vigilance was heightened through awareness campaigns at various levels, including district, taluka, and village, to educate citizens about the harmful impacts of child marriage.
Special arrangements were made under Bordikar’s leadership, with a focus on inter-departmental coordination, involving senior officials like the Secretary, Commissioner, District Collectors, and Superintendents of Police. The administration issued warnings of potential criminal cases against those involved in facilitating child marriages, such as marriage hall owners, priests, and relatives. Through a series of outreach activities like kirtans, street plays, and awareness rallies, the campaign aimed to discourage such practices and promote community involvement.
Efforts to prevent child marriages spanned across districts like Raigad, Ahilyanagar, Buldhana, Yavatmal, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Dharashiv, and Parbhani, resulting in the successful prevention of 13 such marriages. Minister Bordikar emphasized the importance of these actions in sending a strong message against child marriage, underscoring the need for continued campaigns to eradicate this harmful tradition.
