Bhubaneswar: The Odia society seems losing its cohesiveness. The family system in the State seems collapsing in a big way.
When the data available with the Orissa High Court shows in January 2025, a whopping 2,707 new divorce cases were filed in the over 30 family courts in State, the Odisha Deputy CM Pravati Parida Saturday made a startling revelation on rise in headcount of abandoned women in the State.
According to Dy CM’s statement on the floor of the House, the headcount of destitute and abandoned (by hubbys) women in the State has increased to 11,598.
A glance at the earlier available data showed, in the year 2018, the number of destitute women staying in the short stay homes were at 2592 in the State.
ODIA FAMILY SYSTEM CRUMBLING?
The two important social indicators – divorce cases and abandonment – puts the glare on the crumbling of the Odia family system.
While divorce cases in the State have been high in the coastal region, in the count of abandoned women, Balangir tops the table.
The data shared in the State Assembly revealed Balangir with 3,729 cases tops the chart.
The high cases of abandoned women in the western part of the State, especially in the Balangir district, have been attributed to large-scale migration.
Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Subarnapur and Sundargarh lead the migration worker chart in the State.
As the workers migrate to other states for work, they elope with other women, abandoning the legally wed women in their hometown.
Also, many elderly women were left alone in the home district, with the sons eking their livellhood along with their family.
For which, the number of abandoned women in the State has been identified in the households living below the poverty line. Being from the BPL households, the abandoned women can’t fight for their legal rights, and are compelled to live in a wretched condition.
ODISHA 2nd HIGHEST SPENDER IN SHAKTI SADAN SCHEME
Since the abandoned women in the State belong to the poor household, Odisha has become the 2nd highest spender under Shakti Sadan scheme in the country.
As per data available with the Union Women and Child Development, Shakti Sadan Scheme – formed by the merger of Swadhar Greh (Short Stay Homes) and Ujjwala Homes (for preventing trafficking of women) – Odisha was the top spender.
Since this scheme is demand driven, the State had topped the country in 2018-19 with an expenditure of Rs 4.57cr.
In the pandemic year of 2020-21, the State topped the country with the highest spending amountin to Rs 6.46cr
However, despite a rise in abandoned women count, the State’s expenditure under the scheme dropped to 1.32cr in 2022-23 and Rs 2.46cr till Jan 2024.
The beneficiaries under the scheme were also provided with vocational training to make them financially independent.
87 DIVORCE CASES PER DAY IN STATE
In tandem with rise in abandoned women, the cases of divorce in the State have also been on the ascent.
In January 2025, the State’s family courts have instituted a whooping 2707 divorce petitions. The month saw disposal of as many as 2,768 cases.
Despite the disposal of divorce petitions in the State has been higher than institution, the pending cases in the State has simply doubled in 2024.
According to the data available, number of divorce petitions pending in the State family courts stood at a massive 34,768 – which almost double of the count in 2023.
Sample the RISING trend!
- 2021 – 10.8K
- 2022 – 14.6K
- 2023 – 15.6K
- 2024 – 34.7K
The above data shows in the last 4-years, the number of divorces cases pending in the family courts of the State has almost tripled.
Among the districts with top pendency, Khordha, the State HQ, sits on the top.
- Khordha – 7268 pending
- Balasore – 4346
- Cuttack – 2748
- Kendrapada – 2585
- Ganjam – 2534
- Bhadrak – 2006
- Jagatsinghpur - 1583
