Tripura has intensified its campaign against child marriage, preventing 9992 cases during the 2025-26 financial year. Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Tinku Roy announced the achievement in Agartala on Tuesday while highlighting several welfare initiatives for girls, persons with disabilities, Anganwadi workers and tribal communities across the state.
Agartala: The Tripura government has launched multiple welfare programmes to discourage child marriage and improve the socio-economic condition of vulnerable families.
Addressing a press conference in Agartala, Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Tinku Roy said the government introduced four key welfare initiatives during the 2025-26 budget year. Several of these schemes have already begun delivering benefits.
One of the flagship programmes is the Mukhyamantri Kanya Bibah Yojana. Under the scheme, daughters from Antyodaya families receive ₹50,000 after attaining the legal marriage age of 18 years.
According to the minister, 45 eligible beneficiaries, since October 2025, have already received assistance. He urged the media and local stakeholders to spread awareness so that more families can access the scheme.
Another initiative, the Mukhyamantri Balika Samriddhi Yojana, provides a fixed deposit of ₹50,000 for girl children born into Antyodaya families. The amount becomes available after the beneficiary turns 18 and can be used for education or marriage-related expenses.
So far, 105 beneficiaries have been covered under the scheme.
Key Welfare Scheme Progress
| Scheme | Benefit | Beneficiaries |
|---|---|---|
| Mukhyamantri Kanya Bibah Yojana | ₹50,000 marriage assistance | 45 |
| Mukhyamantri Balika Samriddhi Yojana | ₹50,000 fixed deposit | 105 |
| Chief Minister’s Scheme for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities | ₹5,000 per month | 3,492 |
| Disability Assistance Programme | ₹2,000 per month | 20,027 |
Child Marriage Prevention Shows Strong Results
The most significant announcement centred on child marriage prevention.
The minister said awareness campaigns and coordinated monitoring have significantly improved reporting and intervention mechanisms.
While exact figures on child marriages are unavailable, authorities track prevented cases.
As a result, the figure of child marriage stopped reached 9992 cases during 2025-26.
The increase reflects stronger enforcement, improved awareness and better coordination among district administrations, Block Development Officers, Panchayat representatives and social welfare agencies.
Sonamura and Kailashahar Remain Areas of Concern
The minister acknowledged that some regions continue to report relatively higher incidences of child marriage.
He specifically mentioned Sonamura and Kailashahar as areas requiring sustained intervention.
According to him, social factors and community practices contribute to the challenge. Child Welfare Committees, local organisations and government agencies are working together to strengthen awareness campaigns and prevent early marriages.
Key Welfare Scheme Progress
| Scheme | Benefit | Beneficiaries |
|---|---|---|
| Mukhyamantri Kanya Bibah Yojana | ₹50,000 marriage assistance | 45 |
| Mukhyamantri Balika Samriddhi Yojana | ₹50,000 fixed deposit | 105 |
| Chief Minister’s Scheme for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities | ₹5,000 per month | 3,492 |
| Disability Assistance Programme | ₹2,000 per month | 20,027 |
Disability Welfare Receives Major Push
The government has also expanded support for persons with disabilities.
Under the Chief Minister’s Scheme for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, 3,492 beneficiaries now receive monthly assistance of ₹5,000. The state is also providing ₹2,000 monthly assistance to over 20,000 persons with disabilities through other welfare programmes.
Officials believe the initiative is helping families manage long-term care and rehabilitation costs.
Anganwadi Modernisation Underway
The Social Welfare Department has accelerated efforts to modernise Anganwadi centres across Tripura.
As educational preferences shift towards English-medium learning, the government has converted 100 Anganwadi centres in Agartala, Udaipur, Dharmanagar and Kailashahar into English-medium centres equipped with improved facilities.
The department has also focused on infrastructure development.
Officials stated that 562 Anganwadi centres have already been upgraded as Saksham Anganwadis. Another 640 centres have been proposed for similar upgrades.
Anganwadi Infrastructure Expansion
| Initiative | Achievement |
| English-medium Anganwadi Centres | 100 |
| Saksham Anganwadis Completed | 562 |
| Additional Centres Proposed | 640 |
| Anganwadis Electrified | 3,559 |
| Additional Centres Proposed for Electrification | 5,000 |
The minister said that before 2018, no Anganwadi centre in Tripura had electricity. Today, more than 3,500 centres have power connections, and the government aims to achieve full electrification.
New Child Care Homes Planned
The state government has sanctioned funds for new child care facilities.
A child care home will be established in South Tripura district with an allocation of approximately ₹5.58 crore.
Another girls’ child home will come up in Kailashahar, Unakoti district, at a cost of around ₹1.34 crore. Officials said the facility will address the shortage of shelter homes for vulnerable girls in the district.
PM-JANMAN Drives Development in Tribal Areas
The government has also strengthened child welfare infrastructure in tribal regions.
Under the PM-JANMAN programme, 226 new Anganwadi centres have been established in tribal and Bru settlement areas. Each centre has received ₹12 lakh for construction of permanent buildings.
Construction has already been completed for 126 centres, while work continues on the remaining projects.
Honorarium Concerns of Anganwadi Workers Addressed
Minister Tinku Roy also responded to concerns regarding delayed honorarium payments to Anganwadi workers.
He explained that delays occurred in April and May due to a change in the Centre’s payment mechanism. Earlier, funds flowed through the state treasury. The new system requires additional processing before fund transfers.
According to the minister, the issue has been resolved and workers will continue receiving payments during the first week of every month.
The government is also planning separate bank accounts for Anganwadi centres to improve transparency in expenditure management.
News Analysis
The latest figures suggest that Tripura’s strategy of combining welfare incentives with social awareness campaigns is beginning to show measurable outcomes. Linking financial benefits to legal marriage age creates a strong incentive for families to avoid child marriage.
The sharp increase in prevented child marriage cases does not necessarily indicate a rise in child marriages. Instead, it points to stronger surveillance, better reporting and more active intervention by local authorities.
Simultaneously, investments in Anganwadi infrastructure, disability welfare and child protection facilities indicate a broader approach toward social development. However, the relatively low enrolment under newly launched schemes suggests that awareness remains a challenge.
The government’s next test will be expanding outreach in vulnerable areas such as Sonamura and Kailashahar while ensuring timely implementation of welfare benefits across the state.