GUNTUR: Two child marriages scheduled to be performed at Nidanampati Lakshmi Amma vari temple at Raja Nagar, Durgi, were foiled by the ICDS, revenue and police officials on Thursday in Guntur district. According to the reports, a couple belonging to Tenali and another couple from Guntur, along with their relatives, came to the temple to perform the marriages but the officials knowing that minor girls are getting married, stopped the weddings and conducted counselling to both the families at the venue.
Durgi tahsildar K. Sivannarayana said that both the families had got the wedding cards printed and distributed them to their relatives and friends inviting to attend the marriage at Nidanampati Lakshmi Ammavari temple. Some persons lodged a complaint with the district collector with the wedding cards about the marriages of minor girls, of aged only 15 years.
The dDistrict collector directed Durgi tahsildar K. Sivannarayana to take proper action about the alleged child marriages. Mr Sivannarayana immediately called ICDS CDPO Swarupa Rani, SI B. Subba Rayudu and other officials to reach the venue to stop the marriage. The officials found all set for the marriages of the minor girls in the temple. The officials conducted counselling to the families, brides and bridegrooms about the law and side effects of the minor marriages including health hazards.
The officials further took assurance from 20-year-old bridegroom A. Durga Mallesh from Guntur and 21-year-old bridegroom M. Srinivasa Rao from Kompalle of Tenali about not gettting married ot minor girls and that they would wait till the girls became majors. Their parents also agreed to do the same.
