The Mohan Majhi administration has announced a new policy that will see court-ordered maintenance payments deducted directly from the salaries of government employees. This measure targets those who fail to make regular payments to their spouses or children, according to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who made the announcement on Sunday. The initiative aims to ensure that families receive the financial support mandated by the courts.
“There are government employees in the state who are committing contempt of court and, at the same time, doing injustice to their wives and children. Under the new guidelines, when a court orders a government employee to pay maintenance or alimony, the departmental drawing and disbursing officer will factor the court-ordered amount into the employee’s monthly salary bill. The amount will then be deducted from the salary and transferred electronically to the bank account of the employee’s wife or children. During CM grievance cell hearings, there were several such complaints of some government employees failing to comply with court orders. The CM directed that the court-ordered maintenance provisions be integrated into Odisha’s Human Resource Management System (HRMS), the automated system for managing government employees.
A press release from CMO said the state government has directed departmental drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs) to deduct the amount specified by family courts from the monthly salaries of employees who default on maintenance or alimony payments and transfer it electronically to the bank accounts of their wives or children. This is absolutely unacceptable to the state government,” Majhi said. CMO officials said the government aims to ensure that maintenance reaches the intended beneficiaries directly and that government employees cannot easily evade their obligations.
New Mechanism to Streamline Court-Ordered Payments
The Chief Maintenance Officer (CMO) has announced a new integration aimed at streamlining the enforcement of court orders related to maintenance payments. This system is designed to minimize delays and enhance compliance, ensuring that payments are made promptly.
According to the CMO, the mechanism will alleviate the financial strain on women and children who have faced withheld payments. Importantly, it will relieve them from the burden of repeatedly pursuing defaulting employees to secure their court-ordered support.
