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Mumbai, April 21: The Maharashtra Department of Women and Child Development announced on Tuesday that a series of proactive measures taken during Akshaya Tritiya successfully prevented 13 instances of child marriage throughout the state.

The department highlighted that special arrangements for online coordination and guidance were established under the leadership of Meghna Bordikar, the Minister of State for Women and Child Development, to facilitate prompt action and oversight.

Recognizing Akshaya Tritiya as a highly auspicious day in the Hindu calendar, which typically sees an increase in weddings and mass marriage events, the department heightened its vigilance in anticipation of potential child marriage occurrences.

To tackle this issue, an online review meeting was held under Bordikar’s direction, attended by senior officials, including the department's Secretary, the Commissioner, District Collectors, and Superintendents of Police. During this meeting, all agencies were instructed to remain vigilant and implement strict measures to avert such incidents.

Officials reported that a comprehensive awareness campaign was executed at the district, taluka, and village levels across Maharashtra. Through District Child Protection Units, Child Helpline 1098, Anganwadi workers, Village Child Protection Committees, and various child welfare organizations, the public was educated about the detrimental effects of child marriage.

The campaign featured various outreach initiatives, including kirtans, Bhagwat recitations, street plays, awareness rallies, and the distribution of posters and stickers. Authorities also encouraged families to pledge against child marriage to foster broader community involvement.

As a deterrent, the administration warned that criminal charges could be filed within 24 hours against marriage hall owners, priests, musical groups, and relatives who facilitate child marriages.

According to officials, these coordinated efforts led to the prevention of 13 child marriages across several districts, including one in Raigad, five in Ahilyanagar, one in Buldhana, two in Yavatmal, one in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, two in Dharashiv, and one in Parbhani.

Authorities praised the outcome as a testament to effective inter-departmental collaboration and proactive governance.

“These collective efforts have yielded positive results, successfully preventing 13 child marriages that were set to occur across the state on Akshaya Tritiya,” officials stated, noting that one case was reported from Yavatmal district.

Minister Bordikar commented on the initiative, stating, “Thanks to the effective and coordinated actions of the Department of Women and Child Development, a strong message has been conveyed to society regarding the issue of child marriage.”

She further mentioned that similar campaigns would be conducted with even greater effectiveness in the future to eradicate this practice.