Karbi Anglong administration steps up action against child marriage

DIPHU —  In line with directives from the chief minister of Assam, a district-level coordination meeting was convened at 12 pm on Thursday in the conference hall of the deputy commissioner’s office, Diphu, to review and strengthen measures to combat child marriage in Karbi Anglong district.

The meeting was chaired by Nirola Phangchopi, Deputy Commissioner of Karbi Anglong, and was attended by the superintendent of police, SDO (Civil) Bokajan, project director of DRDA, joint director of Health Services, district social welfare officer, district child protection officer, inspector of schools, labour officer, and other senior officials.

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During the meeting, the superintendent of police reported a continued rise in child marriage cases in the district. He stressed the urgent need to conduct village-level awareness meetings involving Gaonburas, villagers, ASHA and Anganwadi workers to foster community vigilance and awareness.

The deputy commissioner stressed on a “whole of the government” approach, calling for coordinated efforts among departments such as Education, Health, Social Welfare, Panchayat & Rural Development, and Police.

All departments were directed to prepare specific action plans focusing on field-level supervision and rehabilitation of children affected by child marriage.

Awareness campaigns are also set to be launched across the three Legislative Assembly Constituencies (LACs)—Diphu, Bokajan, and Howraghat—to sensitise communities and deter underage marriages. Vulnerable areas will be mapped through data-driven assessments, and regular monitoring will be conducted to evaluate progress.