Assam government to set up 'Bal Panchayat' in Cachar's child marriage-prone areas

The Assam government has decided to set up Bal Panchayats, village-level gatherings, as part of its campaign against child marriage in order to increase awareness and discuss the detrimental impacts of child marriage. 

A legal team has found 10 areas of child marriage in Assam's Cachar district, according to the state chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who first broke the news via his Twitter account. 

He added that the Cachar district was the first to announce the inauguration of the Bal Panchayat.

According to Sarma, the state administration is stepping up its efforts to combat child marriage in Assam with this particular event. 

''The District Commissioners' strategic interventions help the state government's ongoing efforts to strengthen police efforts,'' he added.

In order to raise awareness and educate the public about the issue, all relevant organizations are tasked with identifying and removing the weaker communities and Bal Panchayats can help with this. 

The president of the Panchayats would serve as a nodal officer in the Bal Panchayats' determination of the child marriage-prone areas.

Doctors, police, ASHA employees, and members of Angadwadi would all provide assistance to the officials. 

The circle officer for the Cachar district, Vikash Chetry, announced that priests and kazis will also be a part of the teams that will raise awareness among local residents. 

In the Sonai block's Notun Ramnagar GP, Salchapra block's Buribail GP, and Narshingpur block's Panibhora GP, Bal Panchayats were held on Sunday. 

The DC of Cachar, Rohan Kumar Jha, SP Numal Mahatta, and a few other officials were present.