Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has introduced a mechanism to ensure that divorced women and children receive court-ordered maintenance payments on time. Under the new directive, the salary of a state government employee who fails to comply with a court order to pay alimony or child support can be deducted at source.
The deducted amount will be transferred electronically to the bank account of the eligible wife or child, according to the government’s instructions.
The decision follows complaints received through the Chief Minister’s grievance cell regarding government employees who allegedly failed to comply with court-ordered maintenance payments. Officials reportedly observed that two to three such cases were being raised during each grievance hearing.
Under the new system, divisional drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs) will prepare salary bills in accordance with the relevant court orders. The specified maintenance amount will be deducted from the employee’s salary before the remaining salary is released.
The deducted amount will then be deposited directly into the bank account of the person entitled to receive the maintenance.
The measure is aimed at improving compliance with court orders and reducing instances where beneficiaries face delays in receiving maintenance payments. It is also intended to help prevent potential contempt of court proceedings arising from non-compliance with judicial directions.
By linking salary disbursement with court-ordered maintenance obligations, the Odisha government seeks to establish a more transparent and streamlined mechanism for ensuring payments to eligible women and children.
The initiative is expected to strengthen accountability among government employees and provide greater financial security to families dependent on court-ordered maintenance.
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