Bhubaneswar, 27 October (H.S.): Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday reaffirmed the state government’s zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, stating that 41 government employees had been dismissed and the pensions of 91 retired officials stopped following their conviction in corruption cases.

Addressing the state-level Vigilance Awareness Week-2026 programme at Lok Seva Bhawan Convention Centre, Majhi administered an integrity pledge to officials and participants and stressed the importance of technology, transparency and effective enforcement in combating corruption. He said governance was no longer confined to an “ivory tower”, as the government was reaching out to people and addressing their grievances directly.

The Chief Minister described public grievance hearings as an important measure to prevent corruption at the grassroots, enabling citizens to report irregularities directly to ministers and the Chief Minister, followed by appropriate action. He said good governance meant not merely framing policies and schemes but ensuring that public funds reached their intended beneficiaries without diversion.

Highlighting the Centre’s JAM (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) framework, Majhi said technology had helped curb leakages in welfare delivery. He outlined the state government’s strategy of zero tolerance, intelligence-based action irrespective of an official’s rank or tenure, and securing convictions in corruption cases.

Over the past two-and-a-half years, Odisha Vigilance has taken action against several senior officials, including an IAS officer, eight chief engineer-rank officers, two divisional forest officers, joint commissioners of Excise and the State Transport Authority, three deputy directors of mines, five tehsildars and four block development officers. The conviction rate rose from 50 per cent in 2025 to 65 per cent by September 2026, the Chief Minister said.

Emphasising the role of technology in prevention and detection, Majhi said the Odisha IT Policy had been approved and a Preventive Vigilance Research Wing was being established within Odisha Vigilance to identify corruption-prone areas and improve transparency in administration. He urged government employees to make integrity and ethical conduct an essential part of their professional and personal lives, highlighting the theme of this year’s observance, “Integrity to Prosperity”.

During the programme, the Chief Minister presented awards for 2025 to Koraput Vigilance Division as the best division and Angul Unit as the best unit. Sadananda Pani, Vigilance DSP in Malkangiri, was named the best investigating officer, Baibhavamala Swain of Bhubaneswar Division the best woman investigating officer, and Salil Kumar Pradhan, public prosecutor at the Bhubaneswar Vigilance Special Court, the best public prosecutor.

Chief Secretary Anu Garg said public schemes funded by taxpayers’ money must benefit the intended recipients, particularly those at the last mile, and stressed the importance of technology in delivering transparent public services. Vigilance Director Yashwant Kumar Jethwa welcomed the participants and highlighted the department’s achievements, while Additional Director Asit Kumar Panigrahi proposed the vote of thanks. Senior serving and retired officials attended the programm

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda