Bajura, May 26

People’s representatives of Gaumul Rural Municipality have started playing an active role in stopping child marriage in Bajura.

The people’s representatives have started the campaign against the practice of child marriage as it is rampant in the rural municipality.

The rural municipality has launched awareness campaign in the villages.

The people’s representatives, along with a police team, immediately reach the place if they are informed about child marriage.

Chairman of the rural municipality Hari Bahadur Rokaya said the marriage of Krishna Rokaya, 17, and Lalita Rokaya, 15, of Wards 5 and 6 respectively was stopped. “We called the couple to the rural municipality office and convinced both about the perils of child marriage,” he added. Rokaya said they were convinced and committed to not getting married before reaching the appropriate age.

The rural municipality has directed all the schools to pay close attention to students as child marriage had increased in the rural municipality.

Even students inform the police if anyone within their circle is planning to get married.

With the initiatives of the rural municipality, as many as four child marriages were stopped in the past six months. Not only people’s representatives, but also the local government, police, government and non-government organisations, women’s group, children’s group, among others, have been working to stop child marriage in the district.

The law has it that anybody who gets married before 20 years of age is liable to a fine of Rs 30,000 and three-year jail term.