Make Kalaburagi child marriage-free, officials told

Deputy Commissioner B. Fouzia Taranum has directed officials from all departments to work in coordination to make Kalaburagi a child marriage-free district.

Presiding over a district-level coordination committee meeting here on Monday, Ms. Taranum expressed concern over the increasing number of child marriage cases reported in the recent days. She instructed officials to remain vigilant, gather information about such incidents occurring in villages and take immediate preventive action.

“Strict disciplinary action will be recommended against officials who show negligence in preventing child marriages,” she cautioned.

Reviewing the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Ms. Taranum said that all officials should achieve their assigned targets.

She noted that some officers have not met their goals and urged them to put in additional efforts. She instructed the taluk health officers, child development project officers and supervisors to hold joint meetings and ensure better coordination.

Under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme, a grant of ₹10 lakh has been released and it should be used effectively, she said and stressed the need to raise awareness about the scheme so that every eligible beneficiary benefits from it.

She also directed officials to resolve issues related to Aadhaar linkage with bank accounts under the Matru Vandana Yojana and ensure that beneficiaries are not deprived of their entitlements.

Ms. Taranum instructed officers to conduct surprise visits to girls hostels to check cleanliness, water supply and other basic facilities provided.

Expressing concern over the low number of calls received at the women’s helpline, she urged officials to intensify efforts to create awareness about the service.

She said that the number of cases handled by the Sakhi One Stop Centre has also declined and people should be made aware of its purpose and facilities.

She emphasised on the effective use of honorarium and administrative funds under women’s welfare schemes.

Referring to the Mission Shakti programme, Ms. Taranum said that it aims to strengthen mechanisms for the safety, security and empowerment of women.

On the occasion, she released a poster with the message: “Illegal adoption leads to trouble – Adopt children legally”.

She instructed officials to organise awareness programmes as part of Adoption Month.

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Bhanwar Singh Meena, Additional Superintendent of Police Mahesh Meghannanavar, Chief Planning Officer S.S. Mathapati, Assistant Commissioner of Police Sharanabasappa Subedar, District Health Officer Sharanabasappa Kyatanal, Deputy Director of Women and Child Development Department Rajkumar Rathod, District Child Protection Officer Manjula V. Patil, Inspector Jagadish K.G. of the District Women’s Police Station, CDPOs and representatives from various organisations participated in the meeting.