Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi distributed employment letters to 476 newly appointed officers and employees of seven departments at the recruitment fair on Thursday.
One and a half lakh government vacancies will be filled in the next five years and the foundation has been laid today, the Chief Minister said.
During the recruitment fair at the Lok Seva Bhavan Convention Centre, the Chief Minister criticized the former BJD government. He accused the prior administration of deceiving the 4.5 crore inhabitants of Odisha by leaving government positions unfilled and stifling the recruitment process.
Today, various departments have appointed new officers and employees: 82 from the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department, 39 from the Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Department, 24 from the Higher Education Department, 231 from the Health and Family Welfare Department, 5 from the Information and Public Relations Department, 61 from the Planning and Convergence Department, and 34 from the ST & SC Development Department, totalling 476 appointments. Of these, 98 are Group-A officers, 130 are Group-B officers, and 248 are Group-C employees.
The Chief Minister stated that the recruitment process under the previous administration was limited to only a few areas. Despite vacancies in various government departments, essential positions remained unfilled. Furthermore, the establishment of new posts was not prioritized. Instead, a handful of employees and officers were tasked with managing large-scale programs.
The Chief Minister criticized the previous administration for its negative approach to governance. He highlighted that the employment of young women and girls was done through outsourcing, which lacked job stability and security. Additionally, he pointed out the influx of workers from outside the state and the absence of transparency in the hiring process, where individuals were selected based on a ‘cheat model’ rather than merit.
The Chief Minister, while congratulating the newly appointed officers and employees, emphasized that every government worker should serve the state, its citizens, and the general populace. In a democracy, the government represents the people’s trust and confidence. The public often views the government and its officials as the solution to all their problems. It is essential to maintain this trust and confidence.
The Chief Minister urged the newly appointed employees to prioritize service, honesty, and integrity in their professional lives. He emphasized that the character of each government employee must be exemplary and should set a standard for others. He stated that no one should find themselves compromised by vigilance or rendered ineffective, as is the case today, in order to achieve efficiency.
The Chief Minister announced the recruitment of 20,000 teachers shortly and the filling of 59,000 government vacancies over the next two years.
Present at the ceremony were Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Minister for ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Nityananda Gond, Fisheries and Livestock Development Minister Gokulananda Mallick, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, and Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Ahuja. The vote of thanks was delivered by Principal Secretary Bishnupada Sethi.