‘Onus on elected panchayat leaders to check child marriage, dowry cases in Bihar’

The minister said that the ward member and or the mukhiya concerned would be held accountable for any child marriage under their jurisdiction and could also be removed by the government.

Elected panchayat representatives in Bihar will be now be required to report any instance of child marriage and dowry under their jurisdiction, failing which the government could start proceedings for their removal for not being able to discharge their duties, panchayati raj minister Samrat Choudhary said on Thursday, adding that necessary instructions to this effect have been issued.

Panchayati raj minister Samrat Choudhary (HT Photo)

“This will help in checking instances of child marriage as only legally valid marriages could be registered,” Choudhary said.

“If there is any information about child marriage, the ward member or the mukhiya concerned will visit the house of the family and ask them to refrain from it. If their advice is not heeded, they will pass on the information to higher officials for prompt action to prevent it,” he said.

The minister said that the ward member and or the mukhiya concerned would be held accountable for any child marriage under their jurisdiction and could also be removed by the government. “The elected panchayat representatives doing commendable job on these important social issues and taking positive initiatives would also be recognised and honoured at the district level,” he said.

Though the national family Heath survey (NFHS) data shows some dip in the percentage of girls married before the legally prescribed age between 2015-2020, it was still on a higher side at over 40%. This has led to the government’s decision to involve PRIs for the social cause.