Kathmandu. Now,a girl who marries above 20 years of age in Bardibas municipality of Mahottari district will receive Rs 51, 000 in cash incentive for her 20 years of age. The announcement was made in the policy and program and budget statement of the fiscal year 2083/84 presented in the 18th Municipal Assembly of the municipality.

‘This time such incentives have been arranged to reduce child marriage.Mayor Prahlad Kumar Chhetri said, “This incentive amount will be given to every girl in the municipality who marries at the age in the new fiscal year 2083/84.” Chhetri believes that this will not only discourage child marriage but also help raise awareness about the need to marry at the age of law. 

Earlier, on March 19, 2080, the mayor had announced a cash incentive of Rs 50,000 to the Musahar couple who marry at the age of age. According to the records of the municipal executive office, only a couple of Bardibas-12 have claimed the incentive amount so far.

In all the 14 wards of the municipality, the Musahar community lives in all the wards.However, Dev Narayan Mahato, a socio-political activist of Bardibas-2 , says that if only one couple takes the amount of } incentives given to those who marry at this age, it can be speculated that child marriage is still prevalent among them.

In the municipality with a population of around 100,000, 13 wards have been declared child marriage-free wards in the last two years. Now, only Bardibas-12 is yet to be declared a child marriage free zone. The municipality has decided to provide Rs 51, 000 incentive to daughters marrying at the age of 20 years to be implemented from the next fiscal year. 

Mayor Chhetri clarified that although this provision is for the daughters of the general community of the municipality, the provision of for both men and women in the case of the Musahar community has been retained.According to him, the Musahar community is very prevalent and provisions have been made to encourage both men and women to control it. Women’s rights activists have said that this new decision of the municipality will help in social reform.