Kochi: In a move to end the increasing dowry menace in Kerala, the state government has made it mandatory for all its employees to give a declaration after marriage stating that they have not accepted any dowry.

The declaration, to be submitted to the head of department, would have to be signed by the father, father-in-law and wife of the employee, as per the amended Kerala Dowry Prohibition Rules, under the Dowry Prohibition Act 1961, notified by the state government last week.

In another measure to make the implementation of the Act more stringent, the government has re-designated the director, social welfare department, as the chief dowry prohibition officer. Three officers of the rank of assistant director in the department have been designated as regional dowry prohibition fficers.

Welcoming the notification, kerala state women''s commission chairperson M. Kamalam said that the ''''landmark'''' amendments were the result of a long and sustained campaign by the commission against the rising menace of dowry in the state. She noted that the amended rules provided for ''''monitoring'''' of the work of the dowry prohibition officers, which was absent earlier.

The regional dowry prohibition officers — one each for southern, central and north kerala — would be authorised to receive any complaint regarding violation of the Dowry Prohibition Act. If, after a preliminary inquiry, the officer finds merit in the complaint he or she can launch prosecution against the accused in a magistrate''s court.

The Rules however state that the Regional Dowry Prohibition Officer''s approach shall be primarily preventive and remedial and prosecution shall be recommended or resorted to only if all other measures and directions are found ineffective or when the parties fail to comply with the orders or directions within the stipulated time.

The regional dowry prohibition offices would send quarterly reports to the chief dowry prohibition officer on the number of complaints received and the action taken.The chief dowry prohibition officer would prepare an annual report on this and submit it to the government.