Odisha Bali Jatra 2022: Spanish Woman Adopts Orphan Girl Child

Cuttack: An orphan girl child from Odisha’s Cuttack has found a new home in Spain as a Spanish woman adopted her at Bali Jatra ground in the millennium city on Wednesday.

After the rules and regulations as per the recent guidelines of the Central Adoption Resource Authority were followed, district collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani handed over the girl child to Sylvia, a teacher in Spain. Mario Herranz, Sylvia’s brother, and the representative of Spain were present during the adoption programme along with the district collector.

Collector Chayani mentioned that Cuttack is the first in Odisha to implement the new law of adoption.

According to sources, the Spanish woman Sylvia had applied for adoption a few years ago, but the application was heard in the district magistrate’s court around a month ago and the adoption was accepted.

The Spanish woman also expressed her happiness after the adoption procedure was held in the court and she was handed over the girl child.

Notably, permission from the Accredited Foreign Adoption Agency (AFA) and the Central Adoption Agency is mandatory when somebody from abroad applies for adoption.

It is pertinent to mention here that several girl children have been adopted from Basundhara Orphanage at regular intervals. A couple from Kolkata had also adopted an orphan girl child in Bali Jatra in 2019.

Several reports suggested that while the adoption rate is comparatively low in terms of adopting dusky girl children by Indians, foreigners have shown their willingness and adopted many girl children from India.