Chouhan to perform Kanyadan, Vigil to check child marriages in MP

Bhopal, Apr 29 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will launch his pet project ''Deendayal Antyodaya Mission'' by performing ''Kanyadan'' of 251 poor tribal girls in Mandla district tomorrow.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh would join Mr Chouhan in the 'Kanyadan'' at the mass marriage organised at Sijhoura village.

Under the programme, the government would provide Rs 5,000 each for the marriage ceremony and another Rs 1,000 for purchasing household goods to each girl belonging to poor family.

The Madhya Pradesh government had alerted the district authorities to keep a strict vigil to prevent child marriages on the occasion of 'Akshaya Tritiya'' tomorrow.

District Collectors had been directed to take effective steps including legal action to prevent child marriages, official sources said.

In several districts, those being wedded in mass marriages being organised by the district administration were being screened to check their age and parents of minors were being warned, the sources added.

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