Nabarangpur, (Ranjit Naik) Date: 04.12.2025 Rikh: The Child Marriage Free India campaign has been launched by the district administration and the Association for Voluntary Action Organization at the local Sarojini Kalyan Mandap! This national campaign against child marriage is a special awareness program for 100 days from 27th November to 8th March. Nabarangpur district is very important because child marriage is taking place in Nabarangpur district. In this launch program, the District Governor Dr. While Maheshwar presided over Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Babita Pan as the chief guest and guest of honor, Commission member Sujata Naik and Chief Development Officer District Council Biranchi Narayan Darwan, Municipal Chairman Kunu Naik, Project Administrator, Tribal Development Organization Rajeev Sahu, DSW and Draupudi Kahar were prominent guests in their speech! He emphasized on the awareness program and sincere efforts of the officers! Appreciating the continuous work of Anganbadi workers and child protection workers in preventing child marriage, he emphasized the need for special efforts in this 100-day program and if any girl is absent from school continuously for more than a week, the Anganbadi workers, school authorities must immediately look at it as it may be a sign of a drop-out case or child marriage! In his speech, the District Governor said that child marriage is a social disorder and a legal crime, not only government employees, but we should all try hard to root it out at our level and help the girl child to get the basic rights. In the special awareness program, various competitions like awareness procession, posters, essays, speeches are being conducted in each block, awareness programs are being held in temples, mosques, worshiping priests by Gurus, distribution of leaflets, wall painting against child marriage, putting up posters, Kalyanmandap, band parties, photographers, written acknowledgment letters with caution in tents! The chief guest recited an oath against child marriage to everyone in the meeting District Child Protection Officer Suresh Patnaik, District Suchna and Public Relations Officer Manoj Behera, District Welfare Officer Ravindra Palaka along with Sakhi One Stop Center Kishori Patnaik, Sarita Muni, and members, Prabhasini Patnaik from Angan Trust, Vikram Rana from Piramal Foundation, Child Rights Advocate Saurabh Upadhyay, municipal officials, organists from different blocks attended! Students from different schools performed cultural programs! Announcer Chandana Mallik moderated the meeting! At the end of the meeting, Rama Patnaik gave thanks!
Ranjit Naik’s report from Nabarangpur First News Odisha !