Says 41 employees dismissed, pensions of 91 stopped

 

THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, OCTOBER 27, 2026

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday warned corrupt government officials and employees of stringent action, asserting that his government follows a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, with 41 employees dismissed from service and the pensions of 91 retired personnel stopped in corruption-related cases.

Addressing the state-level Vigilance Awareness Week-2026 programme at the Lok Seva Bhawan Convention Centre here, Majhi said the state government was committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in public administration and would not spare anyone found involved in corrupt practices.

Over the past two-and-a-half years, Odisha Vigilance has taken action against an IAS officer, eight officers of Chief Engineer rank, two Divisional Forest Officers, Joint Commissioners of Excise and the State Transport Authority, three Deputy Directors of Mines, five Tahasildars and four Block Development Officers (BDOs), besides several other government officials, he said.

Highlighting the department's performance, Majhi said the conviction rate in vigilance cases had increased from 50 per cent in 2025 to 65 per cent till September this year, reflecting sustained efforts to strengthen the fight against corruption.

The Chief Minister said governance was no longer confined to the corridors of power, as the government was reaching out directly to citizens and addressing their grievances. Public hearing programmes had emerged as an important mechanism to identify corruption at the grassroots level, enabling people to bring complaints directly to the notice of ministers and the Chief Minister, he said.

Assuring action on such complaints, Majhi described the Vigilance Department as the eyes and ears of good governance, stressing that governance was not merely about framing policies and launching schemes but ensuring that public money reached its intended beneficiaries without diversion or corruption.

The state government had adopted a three-pronged strategy to tackle corruption, comprising a zero-tolerance policy, intelligence-based action and legal proceedings followed by punishment against officials arrested in corruption cases, irrespective of their tenure, he said.

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) system, Majhi said technology had helped eliminate middlemen and curb corruption at the grassroots level, particularly benefiting the poor.

To strengthen preventive vigilance, the state government had approved the Odisha IT Policy to facilitate the use of modern technology in detecting and preventing corruption. A Preventive Vigilance Research Wing was also being constituted within Odisha Vigilance to identify corruption-prone areas and persons involved in corrupt practices, he said.

Emphasising the theme of this year's Vigilance Awareness Week, 'Integrity to Prosperity', Majhi called upon government employees to uphold ethical conduct, transparency and dedication in the discharge of their public duties.

Chief Secretary Anu Garg said integrity was essential to ensure that the benefits of government schemes, funded by taxpayers' hard-earned money, reached the last beneficiary. The state government was leveraging technology and skills to deliver public services transparently, she added.

Vigilance Director Yashwant Kumar Jethwa said the department had been taking sustained action against corruption in accordance with the Chief Minister's zero-tolerance policy.

On the occasion, Majhi presented awards recognising outstanding performance in vigilance work. Koraput Division was adjudged the Best Vigilance Division for 2025, while the Anugola Unit was named the Best Unit.

Malkangiri Vigilance DSP Sadananda Pani was selected as the Best Investigating Officer, Baibhabamala Swain of the Bhubaneswar Division as the Best Woman Investigating Officer, and Salil Kumar Pradhan of the Bhubaneswar Vigilance Special Judge Court as the Best Public Prosecutor.

Majhi also administered the integrity pledge against corruption to officials and other participants at the programme.

Additional Director of Vigilance Asit Kumar Panigrahi proposed the vote of thanks. A large number of serving and retired senior officers attended the event.