Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign - DC Reasi inaugurates one-day Capacity Building Programme for frontline workers

REASI: The Department of Social Welfare, Reasi today organised a one-day Capacity Building Programme on Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat under the aegis of the 100 Day Child Marriage Free India Campaign, aimed at strengthening awareness, coordination and preventive action against child marriage at the grassroots level.

The programme saw active participation from Anganwadi Workers, ASHA Workers, ANMs and Police personnel, who serve as frontline stakeholders in community outreach and child protection. The initiative focused on sensitising participants about the objectives of the campaign and reinforcing their roles in safeguarding children from early marriage.

The programme was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner, Nidhi Malik. Addressing the participants, she emphasised that child marriage is a grave social evil and a serious violation of child rights, adversely affecting the physical, mental and educational development of children, particularly girls. She stressed that eliminating child marriage requires collective responsibility, strong community vigilance and effective inter-departmental convergence.

Highlighting the critical role of frontline workers and police personnel, the DC underlined the importance of early identification, timely reporting, and coordinated preventive action at the grassroots level to stop child marriages before they occur. She urged all stakeholders to act as catalysts for social change, ensuring that every child enjoys a safe, healthy and dignified childhood.

The programme concluded with an interactive discussion, during which participants shared field experiences and reaffirmed their commitment to proactively work at the community level to prevent child marriage.

The event was attended by District Social Welfare Officer, Sachin Sharma, Dr. Urja Zutshi, Gynaecologist, District Hospital Reasi, Shikha Jamwal, Prosecuting Officer, DPL Reasi alongwith other officers and officials.