BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday issued a stern warning to officials stating the government will continue to maintain a zero-tolerance approach to corruption as it has demonstrated by dismissing 42 employees following conviction in corruption cases.
Addressing the state-level Vigilance Awareness Week 2026 at Lok Seva Bhawan here, Majhi asserted that governance was no longer being run from an “ivory tower”. It was reaching out to people and acting on their grievances.
Over the past two-and-half years, state Vigilance had taken action against several senior officials, including an IAS officer, eight chief engineer-rank officers, three deputy directors of mines, five tehsildars and four block development officers, besides Forest and Excise officials, he said.
He said the government has also stopped pensions of 91 retired government employees after their conviction in corruption cases.
The chief minister said the conviction rate of the state Vigilance which stood at 50 per cent in 2025 has risen to a record 65 per cent by September this year, making it one of the leading anti-corruption agencies in the country.
He said the government is pursuing a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption with intelligence-based action and legal proceedings against officials irrespective of their position or tenure.
Majhi described the government’s public grievance redressal programme as a key measure to curb corruption at the grassroots, allowing people to bring their complaints directly to ministers and the chief minister. Crediting the JAM (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) framework with plugging leakages in welfare delivery, he stressed the need to harness technology to strengthen transparency and accountability.
“The government has approved the Odisha IT Policy to promote use of modern technology in anti-corruption efforts. A preventive Vigilance research wing is also set up to identify corruption-prone areas and officials and improve transparency,” he said.
The chief minister urged government employees to uphold this year’s theme, ‘Integrity to Prosperity’ and called upon them to make honesty and integrity a way of life.
Chief secretary Anu Garg emphasised the need for honest implementation of public schemes to ensure benefits reached the last-mile beneficiary. Vigilance director Yeshwant Kumar Jethwa said the department will continue its action against corruption.
The CM also felicitated outstanding Vigilance personnel and units for their performance in 2025.
