BHUBANESWAR: The year 2025 saw the BJP government in Odisha under Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi intensifying efforts to make governance more transparent, participatory and responsive to citizens’ needs with a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening public engagement, digital access to services and accountability in administration.
At the forefront of these reforms was ‘Ama Shasana’, a flagship programme formally unveiled by Chief Minister Majhi earlier this year to bridge the gap between government and the public. Under the initiative, the state established multiple channels for citizens to provide feedback on public services and welfare schemes, including a dedicated online portal, a toll-free helpline and WhatsApp messaging options. The chief minister, ministers and senior officials have committed to direct interaction with citizens to regularly monitor delivery outcomes and address grievances in real-time.
“Ama Shasana is designed to foster transparency and accountability in the administrative framework, ensuring that voices of citizens influence policy implementation and service delivery directly. The initiative also integrates modern technologies such as AI-powered chatbots to streamline communication, reflecting an effort to make governance both accessible and efficient,” said a senior bureaucrat.
In addition to the direct citizen outreach, the state has rolled out digital governance reforms to make public services more accessible and efficient. Notable measures include expansion of the Odisha Secretariat Workflow Automation System (OSWAS) to district and block levels and the launch of a CM Dashboard for monitoring government work.
The ‘Ama Saathi’ WhatsApp chatbot will provides access to over 150 essential government services in healthcare, drinking water supply and other key citizen-centric services. These steps will reduce red tape and speed service delivery across departments.
In order to strengthen local governance with decentralisation of power and decision-making process, new Notified Area Councils (NACs) have been created and municipalities upgraded to corporation to bring governance closer to citizens.
Keeping its words on zero tolerance toward corruption, the BJP government has cracked the whip on corrupt officials, making transparency and clean administration a core part of citizen-centric governance.
Access to justice has been another focus, with specially organised camp courts established to expedite pending cases and improve the justice delivery experience for ordinary citizens.
State authorities further underline their commitment to equitable governance and social inclusion, including recruitment drives aimed at filling over 1.5 lakh vacant government posts to improve public service delivery and fulfil employment pledges made before elections.
Last but not the least, CM Majhi’s robust public grievance redressal mechanism has emerged as one of the most impactful governance reforms in the state. With time-bound resolution, technology-backed monitoring and direct oversight from the CM’s office, the system has significantly improved service delivery, strengthened public trust in government and earned widespread public goodwill for the chief minister.