Call to work for a child marriage-free society

vijayawada: Calling for collective efforts to build a child marriage-free society, NTR district collector Dr G Lakshmisha urged all stakeholders to work with commitment to ensure a bright future for children.

He said transforming NTR district into a model district free from child marriages requires the active participation of every section of society. The collector on Monday flagged off the Vasavya Mahila Mandali (VMM) child marriage-free campaign chariot at the Collectorate in Vijayawada. He also launched a signature campaign against child marriages as part of a large-scale public awareness drive. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Lakshmisha appreciated Vasavya Mahila Mandali for taking up the initiative as part of its social responsibility. Emphasising adherence to laws and regulations, Dr Lakshmisha said society must raise its voice firmly against child marriages. He also suggested that the VMM team aim to collect signatures from over one lakh people through the campaign to further strengthen public participation and awareness. The Collector said the awareness chariot would tour both rural and urban areas of the district to educate people on the adverse effects of child marriages and the legal provisions in place to curb them. He informed that the Child Helpline (1098) and Women Helpline (181) were available for reporting cases and seeking assistance, and urged citizens to make use of these services whenever necessary. Vasavya Mahila Mandali President Dr B Keerthi, Project Director Ramanujaya, District Women and Child Welfare Officer Rukhsana Sultana Begum, DCPU member M Rajeswara Rao and others were present.