West Bengal announces statewide measures to address child marriage

PTI, September 7, 2026, Kolkata: Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced a statewide crackdown on child marriage, ordering house-to-house drives to identify underage marriages and pregnancies and warning of arrests, jail terms and withdrawal of government welfare benefits for those involved.

Adhikari said the government would invoke the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 and the POCSO Act against those marrying minors as well as persons facilitating or solemnising such marriages.

The Chief Minister said husbands of women found to have been married while underage would be issued show-cause notices and asked to produce valid proof of their wife's age.

"If they fail to provide valid proof of the age, strict action will be taken," he said while addressing the media at Nabanna after a Cabinet meeting.

The government will also stop welfare benefits and other scheme benefits for those found involved in child marriages, he said.

Adhikari said police would initiate criminal action and make arrests in cases detected during the crackdown.

"Police action will be initiated, and arrests will be made," he said, stressing the seriousness of the problem and the scale of enforcement required.

The announcement comes after the state health department reported nearly 60,000 institutional deliveries involving underage girls in just six months between January 1 and June 30, according to figures cited by the Chief Minister.

Murshidabad recorded the highest number of child marriages during the period at 12,847, followed by South 24 Parganas with 4,178 cases, he said.

Adhikari said West Bengal tops the country in child marriages and childbirths involving girls below 18 years of age.

Adhikari said every case of pregnancy and childbirth involving a girl below 18 must be reported, allowing authorities to identify suspected child marriages and initiate action against those responsible.

The CM also issued a stern warning to priests, qazis and others who solemnise or facilitate underage marriages, saying those found involved would face imprisonment and fines under the law.

The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act provides for imprisonment of up to two years and/or a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh for persons involved in promoting, permitting or conducting a child marriage.

Adhikari said the POCSO Act would also be strictly applied, pointing out that sexual relations with a girl below 18 constitute a sexual offence irrespective of whether she is married.

The Chief Minister said cases involving pregnancy of minors would attract particularly strict scrutiny and action.

The proposed crackdown will rely heavily on coordination between the police and health, social welfare departments and district administrations, with health records on underage pregnancies and institutional deliveries being used to identify vulnerable cases.

The move comes amid continuing concerns over child marriage in several districts, particularly economically vulnerable and border areas, where early marriage, teenage pregnancy and school dropouts remain closely linked social problems.