Raipur: Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai’s resolution-Chhattisgarh will be completed by 2028-29
Chhattisgarh created history in child marriage free India campaign
Balod district became the country’s first child marriage -free district, 75 panchayats of Surajpur also included
Raipur
Chhattisgarh has recorded a historic achievement under the National Campaign “Child Marriage Open India” launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 27 August 2024. Balod district of the state has become the first district in the entire country, which can be officially declared child marriage free. All 436 gram panchayats and 09 urban bodies of Balod district have been duly issued certificates.
Balod becomes national example
In the last two years, not a single case of child marriage came up from Balod district. After the verification of the documents and the completion of the legal process, now all the panchayats and urban bodies of the district have got the status of child marriage free. With this unprecedented achievement, Balod district has become an ideal model for the entire country.
Balod District Collector Smt. Divya Umesh Mishra said that this achievement is the result of collective participation of administration, public representatives, Anganwadi workers and community. He gave active cooperation to all panchayats and urban bodies in this effort Also thanked.
75 gram panchayats of Surajpur are also child marriage free
On the occasion of the 75th birthday of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, 75 gram panchayats of Surajpur district were declared child marriage -free Gram Panchayat. In the last two years, no case of child marriage was registered from these panchayats. The state government has described it as a historical achievement towards social reform.
Child marriage eradication is not only a government campaign, resolution of social change – Chief Minister Shri Sai
Chief Minister Shri Vishnudev Sai has said that the Government of Chhattisgarh has given top priority to the eradication of child marriage. Our goal is that the entire state should be declared child marriage free by the year 2028-29 in a phased manner. This is not only a government campaign, but a resolution of social change. Chief Minister Shri Sai said that the process of declaring panchayats and urban bodies as child marriage has been expedited in other districts. Certificates will be issued soon in the districts where no child marriage case has been registered in the last two years.
Society and government partnership made it possible to eradicate child marriage: Minister of Women and Child Development Mrs. Laxmi Rajwade
Women and Child Development Minister Smt. Lakshmi Rajwade described this achievement as an inspiration for the whole country, not only Chhattisgarh. He said that this achievement of Balod proves that if the society and the government work together, then the practice of child marriage can be eliminated from the root. The achievement of Surajpur is also a strong step in this direction. UNICEF cooperation has also been important in this campaign. The organization helped strengthen technical cooperation, awareness programs and monitoring mechanisms.
This initiative of Chhattisgarh is considered a milestone at the national level. This achievement will become an inspiration for other states in accelerating the “Child Marriage Open India Abhiyan”. Experts believe that if community participation on the lines of Chhattisgarh and work by keeping education in the center, then it is possible to eradicate complete eradication of malpractices like child marriage from the country.
The state government is now preparing to make other districts free in a phased manner. By 2028-29, the goal of making the entire Chhattisgarh child marriage free will take not only the state, but also the country closer to the resolution of child marriage-free India.
