Odisha govt issues SOP for deduction and payment of alimony

by · KalingaTV

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Bhubaneswar: Odisha government has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for deduction of alimony from the public servants’ salary and pay them directly to the beneficiaries.

While issuing the SOP, the Home Department of the state government said, “It has been brought to the notice of the State Government that maintenance allowances and alimony awarded by competent Courts of Law are frequently not being paid in a timely manner by certain Government employees. Such delay causes acute financial distress to dependent spouses, children, and parents, and force beneficiaries into repeated, avoidable execution proceedings.”

It further said that to enforce strict, timely compliance with judicial orders and protect dependent beneficiaries, the following Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is hereby prescribed for immediate implementation across all Departments:

  1. Deduction from Salary: Upon receipt of a certified, operative order from a competent Court directing the recovery of maintenance or alimony, the concerned Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) shall immediately enter and flag the ordered sum under the head “”Private Deduction” in the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) against the monthly pay bill of the
  2. Credit to DDO’s current Account: The deducted amount shall be credited directly from the Treasury to the designated Government Current Account mapped to the DDO, pending immediate onward electronic transfer.
  3. Pre-Disbursement Due Diligence: Prior to releasing the first installment, the DDO shall verify and record:

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  • The authenticity, validity, and operative status of the court decree.
  • Identity and bank account details of the beneficiary have been verified.
  • A signed undertaking from the beneficiary in the prescribed format (Annexure-A) has been received.
  1. Mode of Remittance: The DDO shall disburse the funds directly to the verified bank account of the beneficiary via NEFT / RTGS/ ECS or any other electronic mode.
  2. Verification: Beneficiaries shall be required to appear in person before the DDO twice a year; once in the month of April and again six months later in the month of November. The beneficiary shall provide an undertaking acknowledging that subsequent payments of maintenance/alimony will be withheld if they fail to appear for verification within the stipulated six-month period. The DDO shall halt further disbursements until the required physical verification process is completed. Records of such physical verifications shall be maintained by the DDO.
  3. Responsibility of DDO: The concerned DDO shall be responsible for ensuring proper deduction of funds as per the Hon’ble Court’s order, verification of the beneficiary and timely electronic remittance of the amount. Proper records of deduction, credit and onward payment shall be maintained for reconciliation and audit purposes.

Interim Arrangement: This procedure serves as an interim arrangement until an integrated and automated mechanism is developed and operationalised in HRMS/IFMS for the deduction, accounting and direct electronic transfer of Maintenance/Alimony to the beneficiaries.

It is to be noted here that the SOP for deduction and payment of alimony has been issued as Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on August 30 had order for the same.

Also Read: WATCH: Odisha CM Mohan Majhi orders salary deduction of govt employees defying court orders for maintenance payment

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