Bhubaneswar: As many as 41 government employees have been dismissed from service following their conviction in corruption cases, while the pensions of 91 retired employees have been stopped, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said Tuesday.
Highlighting the state government’s action against corruption over the past two-and-a-half years, Majhi said Odisha Vigilance had taken action against several senior officials, including an IAS officer, eight officials of Chief Engineer rank, two Divisional Forest Officers, Joint Commissioners of the Excise and STA departments, three Deputy Directors of Mines, five tehsildars and four Block Development Officers (BDOs), among others. Addressing the State-Level Vigilance Awareness Week 2026 programme at the Convention Centre of Lok Seva Bhawan here, the Chief Minister said the department’s conviction rate stood at 50 per cent in 2025 and had risen to 65 per cent by September 2026.
Calling for strict action against corruption, Majhi urged government officials to uphold integrity, transparency and accountability while discharging their duties. He warned corrupt officials that governance was no longer confined to the “ivory tower”, as the government was reaching out to people and addressing their grievances. He said the state government’s public grievance hearing programme had emerged as an important initiative to curb corruption at the grassroots level, allowing people to directly bring instances of corruption to the notice of ministers and the Chief Minister.
Describing the Vigilance department as the “eyes and ears of good governance”, he said public funds must reach intended beneficiaries without being diverted or misappropriated. The CM said the government was strengthening Odisha Vigilance in line with the state’s development priorities and stressed the need to adopt modern technology and best practices. He said the Odisha IT Policy had been approved to facilitate the use of advanced technology in the fight against corruption. He also announced that a Preventive Vigilance Research Wing was being established within Odisha Vigilance to identify corruption-prone areas and individuals involved in corrupt practices. Referring to this year’s theme, “Integrity for Prosperity”, Majhi urged government employees to make honesty, dedication and ethical conduct an integral part of their professional lives.
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