Families engaging in child marriages will not be eligible for welfare schemes, says AP govt

The state Chief Secretary K S Jawahar Reddy directed officials concerned to take stringent measures to ensure that marriages of boys and girls do not take place before 18 years of age.

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government on Friday warned parents that they will not be able to avail welfare schemes if they practise child marriage.

Chief Secretary K S Jawahar Reddy directed officials concerned to take stringent measures to ensure that marriages of boys and girls do not take place before 18 years of age.

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“Wherever child marriages are conducted, those families should be made aware that they will not be eligible for welfare schemes, especially parents,” said Reddy in a press release.

The top official strategised on the programmes to be implemented to eradicate child marriages in an inter-departmental meeting.

He instructed officials to strictly enforce AP Prohibition of Child Marriage Rules, 2012 and also similar provisions from the year 2023.

Reddy said the government will enact a law to extend the 60-day marriage registration limit to six months.

Further, he warned the concerned officials that if they fail to prevent child marriages under their purview, action would be initiated against them.

Moreover, he ordered officials to instruct pastors, temple priests and qazis (Muslim clergy), who solemnize weddings to ensure that they do not officiate child marriages.