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Couples, parents ignore law
Though the government made it compulsory for every marriage to be registered by bringing Andhra Pradesh Compulsory Registration of Marriages Act (APCRMA), 2002, there are few instances of the Act being complied with. Though the Act makes it non-registration of marriage is a crime, the law is not being implemented on the ground since 2002. Except a very few persons who wish to submit the marriage c
Visakhapatnam: Though the government made it compulsory for every marriage to be registered by bringing Andhra Pradesh Compulsory Registration of Marriages Act (APCRMA), 2002, there are few instances of the Act being complied with. Though the Act makes it non-registration of marriage is a crime, the law is not being implemented on the ground since 2002. Except a very few persons who wish to submit the marriage certificate for official needs, a majority of the parents and couples are not even informing the Marriage Officer/Registrar of Marriages about their wedlock.
In order to provide legal right to women and strengthen their rights, after a series of exercises, the Andhra Pradesh government brought the Act in 2002, making marriage registrations must. However, as there is no proper awareness and enforcement by the government, the Act is not being honoured by the people across the state. Surprisingly, highly educated, officials, including IAS and IPS officials who are playing a vital role in framing laws, are also not registering the marriages of their children.
The APCRMA-2002 says the person who wilfully omits or neglects to get the marriage registered, will be punished with a penalty of Rs 1,000. However, since 2002, there has been no single person who was punished according to the Act in the state. Most of the employees and officials working in the stamps and registrations department are also not registering their children’s marriages in accordance with the Act.
“It is true, except in a few cases, no person is registering the marriages. According to the Act, all the marriages performed as per any custom, practice or any tradition, including in tribal areas should be registered with the Marriage Officer (sub-registrar of the respective area). In terms of special marriage, the bride and bridegroom should give one month notice to the Registrar of Marriages concerned (district registrar is the Registrar of Marriages) and they have to visit the office to marry.
However, in case general marriages, if parents or relatives inform us, an official will go to the venue and register the marriage. However, they have to arrange the transportation. But over 90 per cent of the marriages are not being registered,” a senior official of the stamps and registrations department lamented.
The parties to a marriage, either bride or bridegroom or their parents/guardian, must inform about the marriage to the designated. Though they can inform 30 days from the date of the marriage, but no party is coming to register the marriages. “As the Act does not makes the marriage invalid if marriage is not registered, people are not bothered to comply with it,” says a senior official.
