Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday praised the Odisha Vigilance for surpassing his expectations, admitting he was initially sceptical about the anti-corruption agency breaking from the pattern of past governments, which he alleged typically pursued petty offenders while shielding major culprits.
“Under previous regimes, Vigilance went after small fry and let off the big fish. I feared the same leniency toward high-level graft would persist in our administration. But Odisha Vigilance has proved me wrong,” he remarked, lauding Vigilance Director Yeshwant Jethwa and his team.
Majhi asserted that even opposition parties could not question his government’s anti-corruption resolve or allege partisan motives. “No one is spared, from Class IV employees to Indian Administrative Service officers. This could be achieved by ensuring independence of the agency. The conviction rate of the state anti-corruption department is also over 50 per cent,” he said.
He also expressed concern over the involvement of young officers who excelled in national and state exams, citing the June 8 arrest of 2021-batch IAS officer Dhiman Chakma for accepting a Rs 10 lakh bribe and the September 12 arrest of 2019-batch OAS topper Aswini Kumar Panda for a Rs 15,000 bribe.
A total of 30 government employees convicted in corruption cases have been dismissed, and pensions of 68 retired employees have been stopped, he added.
He also urged Odisha Vigilance to leverage modern technology, including AI and machine learning, to expose corrupt officials involved in money laundering and cryptocurrency investments. He pledged continued government support through adequate funding, staffing, infrastructure, and legal backing.
The CM further stated that the state-level anti-corruption awareness programme is far from a mere formality; it aims to deliver a firm message of zero tolerance for corruption. He also credited the effective rollout of Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar, and mobile connectivity in Odisha for curbing corruption at various levels.
“As a result, the benefits of various schemes are reaching the rightful beneficiaries with complete fairness and transparency,” he said.
On this occasion, Majhi also administered the oath of honesty and integrity to everyone. He awarded Cuttack Division as the Best Anti-Corruption Division, Subarnapur Unit as the Best Unit, Manoranjan Paikaray as the Best Male Investigating Officer, Pranita Ray as the Best Female Investigating Officer, and Surendra Panda from Berhampur as the Best Public Prosecutor.
