The administration in Chhattisgarh's Bemetara district has told officials to be strict to ensure no child marriage take place on Akti, the regional festival of Akshay Tritiya.
In an order, Collector Vilas Bhosker Sandipan instructed the officials to act sternly if the parents of the child bride and groom do not go by official advice.
Child marriage is not only a social evil but is legally a crime, the official said, adding that not only the parents but the Baratis and the priest who administer the marriage can also be booked.
Cases of child marriages take place in some castes and certain areas, the official said.
The child protection committees formed at village Panchayat and block level should monitor properly the marriages and assist the district administration, he said.