Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi today addressed the state-level anti-corruption awareness program, declaring that the event was not merely symbolic but a forceful warning to corrupt officials that the government has a zero tolerance policy towards graft.
Speaking at the Lok Seva Bhawan Convention Center, he stressed that corruption erodes public trust and weakens governance, making the fight against it a moral responsibility.
The Chief Minister outlined several steps and results of the government’s crackdown. He praised the use of modern technology, referencing the JAM system (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile) implemented under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. This system, by minimizing human interference, ensures that benefits reach the correct recipients with fairness and transparency.
CM Shri Majhi stated that his government, since its formation, has instructed the Vigilance Directorate to take strict action against all corrupt individuals.
The department has been lauded for taking action against people ranging from Class IV employees to Indian Administrative Service officers, a feat made possible by granting vigilance officers the independence to work.
State Vigilance conviction rate is over 50 percent, earning it a reputation as a leading anti-corruption agency nationally.
30 government employees have been dismissed after being found guilty in corruption cases.
The Chief Minister stressed the need to strengthen Preventive Vigilance across government departments to proactively identify and eliminate areas of corruption. He assured that the Anti-Corruption Department would receive all necessary resources to become more efficient, people-oriented, and robust. The pension of 68 retired employees has been stopped.
Chief Secretary Shri Manoj Ahuja affirmed that strengthening the State Anti-Corruption Department is a key priority in achieving the Chief Minister’s goal of zero tolerance. He highlighted that the commitment shown in disaster management and suppressing left-wing extremism must now be applied to preventing corruption.
Director General of the Anti-Corruption Department, Shri Yashwant Kumar Jethwa, announced that the theme of this year’s Awareness Week is “Anti-Corruption: Our Collective Responsibility.”
He provided an outline of the department’s continuous campaign against corruption from June 12th to October 27th this year, executed under the Chief Minister’s directives.