Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan announced in the Assembly that Odisha workers will no longer migrate outside the state after 2029.
He asserted that Odisha will achieve self-reliance in employment and development, ensuring opportunities for its people within the state.
Responding to opposition concerns over unfilled government posts and rising labour migration, Harichandan said the government has already begun reforms. He declared that outsourcing in examinations will end, and new laws will ensure transparency in recruitment.
The minister criticised previous governments for allowing corruption and malpractice in recruitment. He cited the “legacy of leaks,” including the constable exam irregularities in 2021–22, the JE Civil paper leak in 2022–23, and the OSSC CGL leak in 2023. He argued that earlier administrations attempted to cover up such scandals instead of taking strict action.
Harichandan emphasised that the current government follows a “zero tolerance” policy against corruption. He explained that cancelling suspicious exams was not a failure but a “surgical strike” against fraud networks. He added that the police SI recruitment scam revealed interstate links across Bihar, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh, which justified calling in the CBI for investigation.
The minister urged opposition members to use the term “migrant workers” instead of “dadan labourers,” stressing that migration is a decades-old issue, not a recent one. He said workers left Odisha because earlier governments failed to provide jobs despite having financial resources.
Highlighting achievements, Harichandan stated that in the last 18 months, the government provided 37,371 appointments and initiated recruitment for 65,000 more posts. He accused the previous administration of halting recruitment between 2020 and 2022 under the pretext of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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