Bengaluru, May 31 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday took Deputy Commissioners and Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of the Zilla Panchayats to task over prevailing child marriages and pregnancies in minors.

Addressing the review meeting of the Deputy Commissioners and Chief Executive Officers at the Vidhana Soudha, CM Siddaramaiah stated, “Child marriage and child pregnancy cases are prevalent in areas where there are backward communities, Dalits, and uneducated populations. This must be effectively curbed.”

The Chief Minister questioned officials stating, “Don’t you feel this needs to be stopped?”

The Chief Minister directed that strict vigilance be maintained, and action be taken against PDOs and revenue staff who fail to report such cases.

He further instructed that wherever necessary, criminal cases must be filed against the offenders and legal action must be taken.

Talking about poor results in the Class 10 Board exams, CM Siddaramaiah told education department officials, “Don’t cite lack of teachers or staff as an excuse for poor SSLC results.”

“Why is it that only Mangaluru and a few other districts record good results?” he questioned, adding that District Deputy Directors of Public Instruction (DDPIs) must take responsibility.

The CM directed DDPIs and District In-charge Secretaries to visit schools and conduct inspections. “You must check whether teachers are working with interest or not. Don’t make excuses. If teachers and DDPIs work with genuine commitment, good results can be achieved across all regions,” he said.

The CM emphasised that there should be no delays in sanctioning funds for classroom construction under the ‘Viveka Scheme’. Action plans should be prepared without delay, he said.

Even though funds have been released, construction is yet to begin in some places, he observed, and questioned Deputy Commissioners about the delay.

The CM stressed that teachers and officials must speak with parents to ensure enrolment in government schools does not decline.

“Do everything possible to prevent student dropouts. DDPIs and Block Education Officers (BEOs) must visit schools regularly, and District In-charge Secretaries must monitor this closely,” he said.

He termed the year-on-year decline in admissions to government schools as a concerning trend.

“The government is providing eggs, milk, ragi malt, soup, and hostel facilities — despite this, why are admissions declining?” he asked.

The CM instructed officials to gather practical feedback from the ground and take necessary steps to resolve the issues.

“Keep in mind that true prosperity grows from the roots,” the CM remarked.

He insisted that DDPIs must not remain confined to their offices but travel across the entire district. Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) must actively monitor this and hold meetings with parents, he said.

Strict instructions were issued to CEOs, Deputy Commissioners, and District In-charge Secretaries in places where exam results and school admissions are significantly below the state average. The CM said conditions must improve by the start of the next academic year.

He also said that CEOs in Kalyana Karnataka and Hyderabad Karnataka districts must pay greater attention and actively monitor the situation. “Excuses for poor results are not important—achieving better outcomes is. Honest efforts will lead to honest results,” he concluded.

Siddaramaiah also pulled up Deputy Commissioners in the state for not keeping tabs on child marriages, and slammed the officials for not taking steps and measures to prevent them.

“This year alone, 700 child marriages have taken place, and there have also been reports of girls becoming mothers in childhood. It has come to my attention that FIRs have not even been filed in many of these cases,” he said.

“How can 700 child marriages still be happening so many years after Independence? There are laws to prevent child marriage. Yet, in some places, these laws are not being enforced effectively. Isn’t this a failure?” the Chief Minister asked sternly.

–IANS

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