Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma greeted the girls of India on the occasion of National Girl Child Day.
Taking to Twitter, he wrote, “Resourceful, diligent and resilient- girls are jewels of our society. Our Govt has undertaken many initiatives to encourage young girls to pursue their dreams. On #NationalGirlChildDay, I extend my warm greetings to every girl child & wish they excel in their chosen fields.”
It should be noted that every year on January 24, India celebrates National Girl Child Day to raise awareness of the injustices that girls suffer in society, as well as to encourage understanding of girls’ rights and the value of their education, health and nutrition.
The goal of the day is to support and open up opportunities for the girls of India.
After observing an increase in child marriage cases around the state, the Assam government launched a number of steps to stop the crime.
The following were the steps taken by the cabinet:
All 2,197 Gram Panchayat Secretaries will be designated as “Child Marriage Prevention (Prohibition) Officers” under The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, in order to lower infant and maternal mortality rates and prevent child marriages in rural areas.
These officers will file a FIR under the POCSO Act when the bride is under 14 years old and under The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 when the bride is between 14 and 18 years old.