Timely action of officials halts minor marriage

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TIRUPUR: Timely intervention by officials halted plans to get a 14 year old girl married off to a relative in Dharapuram on July 3..

TIRUPUR: Timely intervention by officials halted plans to get a 14 year old girl married off to a relative in Dharapuram on July 3.
Dharapuram Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) Alagu Meena said she received a tip off on Tuesday from a relative of the girl who was to get married, based on the marriage invitation. Revenue officials, led by the deputy tahsildar, held an inquiry with the parents and found out about the marriage plans. "We stopped the marriage immediately," the RDO said.

Officials sources said the eldest daughter of Nagaraj and Vasanthi, residents of Anumantharayar Swamy Kovil Street in Dharapuram, was to be engaged to a close relative, Rajkumar (27), son of Kalimuthu and Angammal of Kokkarachan Valasu, Palani taluk in Dindigul.

The officials, who warned the parents, took a statement from them promising to let their daughter continue her higher secondary education and to hold back her marriage till she is 18 years old.

Madhivanan also ordered the formation of a sixmember panchayatlevel committee in the district under the chairmanship of panchayat presidents to prevent child marriages. The committee would comprise the extension officer from Social Welfare Department, the Village Administrative Officer, the Schoolheadmaster, the secretary of SHG federation and a woman ward member.