BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday expressed gratitude to his cabinet colleagues for maintaining high political standards and upholding integrity in providing a transparent, accountable and people-centric governance in the state.
Addressing a joint meeting of MPs and MLAs ahead of completion of one year of BJP’s maiden government in the state here, the chief minister said his government has made significant progress and fulfilled all major promises made to the people in this short span of time.
“Assuming office came with the responsibility of fulfilling the aspirations of Odisha’s 4.5 crore people, who chose us with great expectations. We knew we would be compared with the previous government and that our cabinet would be seen as inexperienced. Despite these challenges and limited time, we have worked tirelessly to deliver on our commitments,” Majhi said.
“For the successful implementation of all initiatives, a strong, transparent and corruption-free governance system is essential. I can proudly say that not a single corruption allegation has been brought against us, even by the Opposition. I extend my gratitude to my cabinet colleagues for maintaining high political standards and upholding integrity in public life,” he added.
Majhi said the BJP government is now being described as a ‘people’s government’ by the people of the state. This can be attributed to the efforts in bridging the gap between the government and public through initiatives like Jana Sunani (public grievance hearing) programmes.
“I have been personally engaged with 12,000 people through 11 public grievance hearing programmes, addressing their grievances and resolving most issues on the spot,” he said adding, he has planned to visit every Assembly constituency in the second year.
The CM said that the vision for a prosperous Odisha is built on four pillars - livelihood, infrastructure, social security and welfare, and Odia identity. This has been reflected in the first budget of the BJP government.
“Eradicating corruption is crucial for the success of our initiatives and our government is working aggressively in this direction. Officials at all levels are under scrutiny and those found guilty of corruption will face strict action including denial of dignified retirement. As a step towards transparent governance, we are introducing a Work Pass Book system, which will provide comprehensive details of infrastructure projects, ensuring accountability and public oversight,” he stated and sought cooperation from the elected representatives to realise the goal of Viksit Odisha.