Guwahati, 22 December (HS): Under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Police and other related organizations have successfully conducted an operation aimed at making Assam free from child marriage by 2025.

As part of this campaign’s third phase, a massive drive against child marriage was carried out across the state on the night of December 21-22, leading to the arrest of 431 people and the registration of 345 cases.

In a press conference at Assam Police Headquarters, ADGP Munna Prasad Gupta provided details about the operation. Gupta informed that 431 individuals were arrested from 36 districts of the state, including Dhubri, Hojai, Nagaon, Marigaon, Kokrajhar, and Guwahati city.

He mentioned that previous phases of the campaign in February and October 2023 had resulted in the arrest of 3425 and 913 people, respectively.

The campaign has led to a reduction in child marriage incidents, which has positively impacted maternal and infant mortality rates. The maternal mortality rate in the state decreased from 984 in 2020-21 to 372 in 2023-24. Similarly, the infant mortality rate dropped from 9472 in 2020-21 to 4790 in 2023-24.

These figures indicate that curbing child marriage has contributed to improvements in the state's health indicators.

Gupta also revealed that Dhubri district recorded the highest number of arrests, with 68 people arrested and 59 cases filed. No incidents of child marriage were reported in districts such as Vishwanath, Jorhat, Dima Hasao, Hamren, and Guwahati city, where no arrests were made.

This campaign marks a significant step towards making Assam free from child marriage by 2025.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash