Bhubaneswar: Asserting that corruption has not been allowed to take root in his administration, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Friday said no one, irrespective of influence or position, found involved in graft would be spared.
Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar on the completion of two years of the BJP government in the state, CM Majhi said strict action was being taken against corrupt officials.
“There has been no corruption charge against our government so far. This is significant. Action is being taken against those indulging in corruption. Even officials who were due to retire within a day or two have been arrested on corruption charges,” he said.
Asked about action against certain individuals against whom the BJP had levelled allegations before the 2024 assembly elections, the Chief Minister said, “We have completed two years in office and three more years remain. Have patience and see what picture emerges.”
Replying to a question on the reinstatement of an IAS officer who was allegedly caught accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh and later granted bail, CM Majhi said the government had not violated any rules.
“There are instances where officials are reinstated after securing bail. A person cannot be treated as guilty unless proven so in a court of law. The government is very careful about this and I assure you that no one will be spared,” he said.
The Chief Minister also praised the functioning of the state vigilance department.
“Odisha Vigilance has worked sincerely against corrupt elements and has received recognition from the central government for its anti-corruption initiatives,” he said.
Referring to Opposition criticism of the BJP’s “double-engine government”, Majhi claimed it has delivered “double impact” for Odisha.
“The latest example is the removal of the word ‘dham’ from the Digha Jagannath temple in West Bengal,” he said.
Highlighting infrastructure development, Majhi said railway projects worth around Rs 90,000 crore and road projects exceeding Rs 30,000 crore were under implementation in the state.
He said the Centre had approved the long-pending coastal highway project worth Rs 8,300 crore and the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri-Paradip corridor project worth Rs 5,000 crore, which would significantly transform the region’s economy and connectivity.
Claiming that people have developed confidence in the BJP government, Majhi said Odisha was moving on the path of prosperity with the support of its 4.5 crore people.
He criticised the previous BJD government, alleging that its much-publicised development model lacked institutional mechanisms.
“During the so-called 24 years of good governance, development activities were largely publicity-driven. Many projects were run according to the whims of one individual rather than through institutional processes. The Shri Jagannath Parikrama Project is one such example,” he alleged.
Majhi said the Odisha State Institute for Transformative Initiatives (SITI) had been established on the lines of NITI Aayog to provide institutional support for policy formulation and development planning.
Majhi announced the launch of the Chief Minister’s Annapurna Scheme to strengthen food security in the state. Under the scheme, beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and the State Food Security Scheme (SFSS) will receive an additional 5 kg of rice per month free of cost.
“Each beneficiary will now get 10 kg of rice free of cost every month. More than 3.28 crore people, constituting nearly 80 per cent of the state’s population, will benefit from the scheme,” he said.
The state government will spend Rs 8,813 crore annually on the programme, he added.
On the law and order situation in Odisha, Majhi challenged critics to cite a single case in the past year in which the accused had not been arrested.
“Concerns have been raised over law and order, but I challenge critics to point to a single case where the accused had not been arrested,” he said.
The chief minister said Odisha had received investment proposals worth over Rs 20 lakh crore during the past year, reflecting growing investor confidence and the state’s emergence as a preferred industrial destination.
He said the government had launched Mission Power-2027 to ensure 100 per cent coverage of electricity, drinking water and all-weather roads in every village by the end of 2027.
Highlighting flagship welfare initiatives, Majhi said financial assistance of more than Rs 20,600 crore had been provided to women under Subhadra Yojana and other empowerment programmes, while over 23.5 lakh women had become ‘Lakhpati Didis’.
The chief minister claimed that incidents of farmer suicides had declined and said the BJP government had introduced an input subsidy of Rs 800 per quintal of paddy.
Farmers are also receiving annual assistance of Rs 10,000 under the PM-KISAN and CM-KISAN schemes, he said.
Majhi said the Ayushman Bharat-Gopabandhu Jana Arogya Yojana was benefiting around 3.46 crore people in the state.
He further said Odisha had adopted a special policy to emerge as a semiconductor hub, with plans for three semiconductor units and five global capability centres (GCCs).
A Science City will also be established near Bhubaneswar at a cost of Rs 300 crore, he added.