Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi issued a stern message to government employees, saying that the recent arrests of two young officers on corruption charges should serve as a wake-up call for all in public service.
Speaking at a ‘Nijukti Mela’ (appointment fair) where new recruits were being inducted, Majhi reiterated his government’s policy of “zero tolerance for corruption.” He referred to the high-profile arrests of Aswini Kumar Panda, the 2019-batch Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) topper, and Dhiman Chakma, a 2021-batch IAS officer, as examples of how the law spares no one.
“I may sound harsh but the fact remains that young officers were found involved in corruption. Keeping in view his top position, it was expected that Aswini Kumar Panda would serve the people with dedication. However, he was arrested on corruption charges. This should serve as a warning to everyone,” Majhi said.
Panda was arrested on September 12 by Odisha Vigilance for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹15,000 through his office driver for converting agricultural land to homestead land in a mutation case. Searches at his home and office led to the seizure of ₹4.73 lakh in cash and gold ornaments.
Similarly, Majhi cited the June 9 arrest of IAS officer Dhiman Chakma, who was caught taking a ₹10 lakh bribe from a businessman in Kalahandi’s Dharmagarh. A follow-up raid at Chakma’s official residence resulted in the recovery of ₹47 lakh in cash.
“Everyone should be careful as it is natural to get punishment for corruption. Our government will continue to adopt the zero-tolerance policy,” Majhi stressed, reminding employees that both officers had availed all government benefits but still chose to engage in wrongdoing.
The chief minister’s remarks come amid a renewed state-wide focus on preventive vigilance and strict action against corrupt officials. Odisha Chief Secretary had earlier directed departments to exclude tainted officials from key roles.
