Jajpur: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has directed the district Collectors of Jajpur and Keonjhar to submit a report on alleged reports of child marriage incidents at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) within seven days.
Social worker Mantu Das had lodged a complaint with the NCPCR, alleging that there have been multiple cases of dropouts and child marriages, at the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, residential school for girls. As the Education Department has reportedly failed to initiate appropriate action to address these issues Das had moved the NCPCR.
According to the complaint, students at the school have been absent for extended periods and three girls had been married off at a young age, with two of them becoming mothers before they were 14. In his complaint, Das alleged that these early pregnancies (and motherhood) have resulted in severe social and economic challenges for young girls as the underage mothers have been excluded from various government schemes, including food security entitlements.
Aside from ordering a detailed probe into the allegations, the NCPCR has also directed the district Collectors to initiate necessary legal steps against the guilty as per the provisions of the Child Protection laws.
