Bhubaneswar: As many as 315 children from Odisha have been adopted by childless foreign couples during the period from 2016-17 to 2020-21, Women and Child Development Minister Tukuni Sahu said in the Assembly, Saturday.
In a reply to a question asked by Salipur MLA Prasanta Behera, the minister said, a total of 1,262 children from Odisha have been adopted by various parents from Odisha, outside the state and foreign countries.
She said 111 boys and 204 girls of the state have been adopted by foreign parents.
The highest of 138 children from Sundargarh district have been adopted by the foreign parents while Khurda district recorded adoption of 34 students by overseas parents, she said.
Similarly, parents from abroad have adopted 23 children from Keonjhar, 18 from Kandhamal and 15 from Sambalpur district during the five years, Sahu said.
The others districts, which reported such international adoption include Cuttack (13), Mayurbhanj (12), Koraput (11), Kalahandi (10), Puri (9), Dhenkanal (7), Kendrapara (6), Malkangiri (5), Ganjam (4) and Bhadrak (3).
Two children each from Nayagarh and Rayagada districts and one each from Gajapati, Bolangir and Jharsuguda districts have also been adopted by parents from abroad.
In her reply, the minister also mentioned that 258 boys and 484 girls have been adopted by parents from other states while 143 boys and 62 girl children have been adopted by parents from Odisha in the five years.
Out of the total 1,262 children of Odisha adopted in past five years, the highest 180 children have been adopted from Sundargarh district followed by Khurda (119), Cuttack & Keonjhar (115 each), Kandhamal (75), Koraput (72), Mayurbhanj (54), Puri (51), Jajpur (47), Kendrapara (42), Kalahandi (37), Angul (30), Ganjam (28), Dhenkanal (26), Malkangiri (23), Nayagarh (22), Gajapati (21), Bhadrak (18), Rayagada (17), Sambalpur (15), Nabarangpur (14), Balasore & Jagatsinghpur (13 each), Sonepur & Deogarh (10 each), Bolangir & Jharsuguda (9 each) and Bargarh (2).
Only two districts—Nuapada and Boudh districts have not reported any child adoption during the period.
