Bhubaneswar: Affirming his government’s resolve to provide a clean, transparent and efficient administration, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday said that significant steps have been taken in this regard.
Speaking on the demands for grants of the General Administration and Public Grievance Department in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said that the government has set a target to fill 1.5 lakh posts in a fair and transparent manner in the next five years.
While appointment letters have been issued to 37,371 eligible candidates so far, efforts are on to fill another 43,447 posts, Majhi said, adding that the upper age limit for recruitment has been increased to 42 years to ensure maximum participation.
As part of efforts to streamline the recruitment process, the government has formed the Odisha Uniformed Services Staff Selection Commission (OUSSSC) and enacted the “Odisha Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024” to prevent unfair practices in competitive examinations, he said.
As the government has prioritised grievance redressal, the Chief Minister is personally attending public hearings and resolving complaints. In the last one and a half years, 3,79,160 complaints have been received through the Genocide Portal, with 2,84,199 complaints resolved.
Highlighting the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, Majhi said Vigilance Department is working actively to curb corruption. In the last one and a half years, 324 cases have been registered against 554 people, including 94 first-class officers and 397 other government employees.
The government has also achieved a conviction rate of over 50% in corruption and embezzlement cases, the highest in the country. Thirty-three government officials have been convicted and dismissed from their jobs during this period.
The CM assured the House that the government is committed to maintaining a clean and accountable administration, and efforts are on to bring the administration closer to the people.
