Delivering his address in the Odisha Legislative Assembly on the supplementary demand for grants of the General Administration and Public Grievances Department, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday outlined the achievements of his government over the past one-and-a-half years, emphasising transparent, efficient, and citizen-centric administration.
Speaking on the additional demand of ₹59.36 crore for the financial year 2025-26, the Chief Minister described the initiatives as critical for strengthening public service delivery and administrative reforms.
Key Highlights from the Speech
Massive Government Recruitment Drive
- The government has set a target to fill 1.5 lakh vacant posts in a transparent manner over five years.
- In the last 18 months, appointment letters have been distributed to 37,371 candidates through employment fairs.
- Another 43,447 posts will be filled in the coming months.
- The maximum age limit for government jobs has been raised to 42 years to enable more candidates to apply.
- Cabinet has approved the formation of the Odisha Uniformed Services Subordinate Staff Selection Commission (OUSSSC) for streamlined recruitment.
- The Odisha Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, has been enacted to curb malpractices in competitive exams.
- Relaxation in rules to provide compassionate appointments to daughters and step-daughters of deceased government employees, irrespective of marital status.
- 10% horizontal reservation for retired Agniveers in Group C and D uniformed services.
Citizen-Centric Grievance Redressal
- The Chief Minister personally attended grievance hearings and met nearly 12,000 citizens in the last 18 months.
- Through the Jan Sunani portal, 3,79,160 complaints were received, of which 2,84,199 (approximately 75%) have been resolved.
- Weekly joint grievance hearings at the district level have resolved 15,771 cases so far.
- Additional Chief Secretaries and Additional District Magistrates appointed as nodal officers for faster disposal of complaints.
Zero-Tolerance Policy on Corruption
- Vigilance Department has registered 324 cases against 554 persons in the last 18 months, including 94 Class-I officers, 63 Class-II officers, and others ranging from IAS officers to peons.
- Disproportionate assets worth ₹208.23 crore seized; 82 cases filed against 147 individuals.
- Assets seized include 832 plots, 8 farmhouses, 84 acres of land, ₹92 crore in cash, and 24 kg of gold jewellery.
- 322 persons arrested, including 66 Class-I and 47 Class-II officers.
- Odisha’s conviction rate in vigilance cases exceeds 50% — the highest in the country.
- 33 serving officers dismissed, and pensions of 65 retired officers stopped following conviction.
Land and Administrative Reforms
- Large tracts of government land were allocated for the construction of Rajswa Bhawan, the composite disaster management office, Atithi Bhawan for visitors from districts, and Mission Shakti Bhawan.
- “Bhubaneswar Land Use Intelligence System (BLUIS)” was launched to identify and remove encroachments online.
- 389 eviction drives conducted; over 82 acres of government land freed and protected.
Chief Minister’s Relief Fund
- ₹18.62 crore disbursed for medical treatment, assistance to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy patients, road accident victims, etc.
- ₹32.38 crore provided to 1,01,517 families under the Harishchandra Sahayata Yojana.
- Government contribution to CMRF increased from ₹60 crore to ₹65 crore, with an additional ₹20 crore provision this year.
Concluding his speech, the Chief Minister urged the House to approve the supplementary demand of ₹59.36 crore, stating that the funds would further strengthen people-friendly programmes and administrative reforms essential for achieving the vision of a prosperous Odisha by 2036 and contributing to a developed India by 2047.
The supplementary demand was subsequently passed by the Assembly.
