Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on February 6 that the state’s 16.8% teenage pregnancy rate is highly concerning and that the goal of the government’s campaign against child marriage is the public’s health and welfare.
The Chief Minister declared on Twitter that the government is resolute and committed to continuing the campaign until it achieves its goal of ending child marriage.
The Chief Minister pleaded with the populace to assist the government in eradicating the threat of underage marriage. 1,04, 264 of the 6, 20, 867 pregnant women in Assam who have been officially documented so far are under the age of 19. The majority of cases, 51, 831, are in Dhubri and South Salamara, and 14, 438 of them are minors under the age of 19.
The highest rate of teenage pregnancies, which is 28%, occurs in the Barpeta district, where there are currently 40,581 recorded pregnancies. The lowest rate of teenage pregnancies, 8.4%, is found in the Tinsukia district, where 21, 558 cases have been reported overall. The least amount of pregnant people under the age of 19 is found in Dima Haso, where there are only 431 of them.
A total of 2,441 persons have been arrested across the state as the crackdown on child marriage continues in the state, said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 6.
”Total arrest so far – 2441. Crackdown against Child marriage continues in Assam,” the Assam CM tweeted.
Assam police have so far recorded 4074 cases and have arrested 2278 people in connection with child marriage-related incidents across the state as of February 5.
139 persons have been arrested related to child marriages in Biswanath, 130 in Barpeta, 126 in Dhubri, 123 in Baksa, 117 in Bongaigaon, 101 in Nagaon, 94 in Kokrajhar, 85 in Kamrup, 84 each in Goalpara and Udalguri district.
111 persons who had been arrested in connection with child marriage cases received jail time in Assam’s Dhubri district earlier today.
The court condemned 111 of the 126 individuals who had been detained in connection with child marriage on February 4 after they were all brought before it.