Koshi Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki has announced a special plan to prevent child marriage. In a program held at the Chief Minister's office on Thursday, he said that the goal is to make the province free of child marriage by the end of 2025.

Chief Minister Karki said that due to poverty, child marriage has increased due to the lack of access to education for girls and the view of girls as a burden. He said that this problem can be solved only through the development of education and awareness and asked to stop the misconception of encouraging child marriage in the name of dowry system. "Child marriage is a legal crime and it needs to be stopped," he said. He informed that the state government plans to bring strict laws soon and conduct various programs. In the

event, representatives of Just Rights for Children in Nepal, social activist Balkrishna Pandey, Dr. Gangadhar Adhikari, educationist Nirmala Koirala and others were present. The participants signed a pledge against child marriage.