GUWAHATI: Assam has recorded nearly ten times increase in number of child marriages taking place in the state in the last three years. It was informed by state’s Social Welfare Minister Pramila Rani Brahma in the Assembly on Friday.
Replying to a question by Congress MLA Roslina Tirkey, the minister informed that the number of child marriages in 2017-18 was 317. The figure was 32 in 2015-16 and 96 in 2016-17, she added.
The highest number of cases of child marriages in 2017-18 as well as in 2016-17 was registered in Kamrup (rural) district, with the figure being 59 and 21 respectively. However, there was no registered case of child marriage in the district in 2015-16.
Barpeta district showed the second highest number cases of child marriages in 2017-18, though the district had five cases in 2016-17 and none in the preceding year. The third highest number of 26 cases in 2017-18 was registered in Baksa district. There were 11 cases in the district in 2016-17. Baksa had registered one case of child marriage in 2015-16.
Darrang district registered second highest number of 14 child marriage cases in 2016-17.
For the year 2015-16, Dibrugarh had registered the highest cases with 16 child marriages , with Kokrajhar district in second place with 1o cases. The minister outlined various legislative measures against child marriages and also different helplines and awareness programmes to fight this social evil.
Probe on into ‘ghost children’ scam: The investigation into enrollment of alleged 14 lakh beneficiary ‘ghost children’ in Social Welfare department of Assam is still going on, Social Welfare Minister Pramila Rani Brahma informed.
“The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption bureau is investigating the case of ghost children. Action will be taken based on the investigation report,” Brahma said, responding to a starred question by AGP legislator Ramendra Narayan Kalita.
She added that the state government had informed the Union Women and Child Welfare ministry regarding the alleged scam.
Brahma further informed that there were 61,690 active Anganwadi centres in the state against sanctioned 62,153 centres for Assam. Altogether 33,52,488 children between the age of six months to six years were enrolled in these centres, she added.
