The Odisha government announced on Sunday that court‑ordered maintenance or alimony will be deducted directly from the salaries of male state employees who fail to pay their spouses or children as directed by a court. The decision was issued through a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office after receiving several complaints during state‑level grievance hearings.
The statement said that a small number of male employees repeatedly ignored clear judicial orders, leaving wives and children without the support mandated by the courts. Similar grievances were reported in divorce cases where alimony payments had not been made, prompting the Chief Minister to intervene.
Under the new guidelines, the departmental Drawing and Disbursing Officer will deduct the specified amount when preparing the employee’s monthly salary bill and transfer it electronically to the bank account of the entitled wife or child. The government also instructed that all maintenance‑related court orders be integrated into the Human Resources Management System to automate compliance.
The Chief Minister described defying a court order as “completely unacceptable” for a state employee and said the mechanism aims to provide timely relief to women and children while ensuring that government staff adhere to judicial directives.
