Administration alerted to curb child marriages
District Revenue Officer (DRO) T Seetharama Murthy taking part in a video-conference in Rajamahendravaram on Wednesday

Rajamahendravaram: District Revenue Officer (DRO) T Seetharama Murthy said that preventing child marriages is not only a legal obligation but also a collective social responsibility. He urged officials and the community to intensify awareness campaigns at all levels to curb the practice.
A video-conference was held on Wednesday by M Venugopal Reddy, Director of Women and Child Welfare from Amaravati, to discuss the State’s action plan against child marriages. Participating from the Rajamahendravaram Collectorate, officials from various departments joined the session.
Speaking on the occasion, DRO Seetharama Murthy directed district staff that awareness programmes be carried out at village, panchayat, block, town/ward, and district levels. “There is a higher likelihood of child marriages occurring on Akshaya Tritiya, falling on April 30 this year, and urged grassroots-level officials and staff to be vigilant and proactive,” he cautioned.
He appealed to the public to report any such incidents promptly and cooperate with authorities in preventing them. He also stressed that officials from the Women and Child Welfare Department, Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs), Child Welfare Committees (CWCs), Child Welfare Police Officers (CWPOs), and Anganwadi workers must give special attention to this issue.
DRO Seetharama Murthy further called for the involvement of religious leaders, purohits, function hall owners, musicians, caterers, decorators and other stakeholders to conduct a focused drive against child marriages.
In addition, he instructed education authorities to prepare a list of students who were absent from school without proper intimation to the principal or headmaster. This list must be submitted to the District Collector. Children identified as at risk must be given family counselling to prevent potential child marriages.
District Women and Child Welfare Officer K Vijaya Kumari appealed to the public to report any suspected child marriages directly to the district administration. She informed that reports can be made to the Women and Child Welfare Helpline at 1800 425 5041, the Child Helpline 1098, or the Women’s Helpline 1091. The identity of the informants will be kept strictly confidential.
District School Education Officer K Vasudeva Rao, SSA PD S Subhashini, Assistant Labour Commissioner BSM Vali, and others participated.