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Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service
Shimla, August 5
36 panchayats
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The practice is prevalent in Renuka Ji, Shillai, Paonta Sahib, Rajgarh, Nahan and Pachhad blocks comprising 36 panchayats in the district.
Despite tall claims by the government on curbing child marriage, the social evil continues to be rampant in six backward blocks of Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh.
As many as 205 child marriage cases have been detected over the past five years. The numbers have only grown annually since 2015—the year 2019 being an exception when the count witnessed a slight dip. In majority of the cases, poor parents married off their daughters to better-off grooms. Alarmed by the trend, the police have sent an advisory to the Director, Women and Child Development Department, to take "effective steps" to stop the menace.
Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu, who recently toured Sirmaur, observed that child marriage was prevalent in Renuka Ji, Shillai, Paonta Sahib, Rajgarh, Nahan and Pachhad blocks, comprising 36 panchayats, of the district.
In a communication to the Women and Child Development Department, Deputy Inspector General (CID) Bimal Gupta attributed the menace to poverty, illiteracy, old tradition and strong presence of 'Khulmi' panchayat system where influential people try to hush up the case.
The communication suggested that measures like constitution of task force comprising panchayat and anganwadi members, active involvement of women empowerment groups and extensive awareness campaigns be taken up.
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