Religious heads decide to stop child marriages in ongole

Ongole: The Child Marriage Prevention Officers and religious heads must work hand in hand, said the Ongole RDO A Penchala Kishore.

He participated as chief guest in the ‘Interface between Religious Leaders and CMPOs on issues of prevention of Child Marriages’ held by the HELP Girls Advocacy Alliance and Department of Women and Child Welfare in Ongole on Wednesday.

Kishore said that the child marriages ruin the life of young children and asked the Child Marriage Prevention Officers to work efficiently in the prevention of child marriages. He also asked the religious heads to support the CMPOs and work hand in hand with them.

The regional joint director of WCWD, Sarada said that though the ICDS workers and officials were working round the clock to stop child marriages in society, a few of them were happening.

She said that they were trying to educate young children under the Kisori Vikas programme.

The CWC chairperson Bharati said that if the officials and workers identify the vulnerable and poor girl children in the villages, they can be rescued from the child marriages.

The religious heads discussed and decided to preach about the adversities of the child marriages as part of the religious programmes and put boards in the religious centers explaining the problems with them.

They have decided to perform marriages only after receiving the age proofs of the groom and bride and checking their legal compliance only.

The ICDS project PD, Sarojini, APD Visalakshi, Brahmana Corporation coordinator Kusumakumari, religious leaders Kesavacharyulu, Fr Martin, Khaji Abdulla, HELP Advocacy officer M Anand, coordinator K Ramesh, HELP programme officers NVS Murthy, BV Sagar, Childline coordinator Mantru Naik, CDPOs, supervisors, tahsildars from various mandals, adolescent girls and others also participated in the programme.