Over a dozen child marriages stopped in Rajasthan on Akshaya Tritiya

Authorities and an NGO prevented over a dozen child marriages across Rajasthan on Akshaya Tritiya. Coordinated efforts with district officials helped stop several cases, while awareness measures were taken following High Court directives to curb the practice

Jaipur: Over a dozen child marriages were prevented across Rajasthan on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya through joint efforts of an NGO and the local administration, officials said.

Gayatri Seva Sansthan (GSS), working in the field of child rights, in coordination with district authorities, foiled nine such marriages in Udaipur, six in Dabok and two each in Pratapgarh and Sikar, according to a statement issued by the organisation.

---

Local officials, including patwaris, gram secretaries and sarpanch, were summoned by the District Child Welfare Committee and sensitised about directives of the Rajasthan High Court holding gram panchayats accountable for failure to prevent child marriages within their jurisdiction, it said.

The statement also said that a boy and a girl have been placed in a shelter home as a precautionary measure.

Akshaya Tritiya, considered one of the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar for weddings, also sees several child marriages in Rajasthan every year.