Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday reiterated the state government’s zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, revealing that 41 government employees have been dismissed and the pensions of 91 retired officials stopped following convictions in corruption cases.

Speaking at the state-level Vigilance Awareness Week 2026 programme at Lok Seva Bhawan Convention Centre in Bhubaneswar, the Chief Minister administered an integrity pledge to officials and emphasised the importance of transparency, accountability and technology in preventing corruption.

Janashunani to Curb Corruption

Majhi said the government’s public grievance hearing programme, Janashunani, was an important initiative to combat corruption at the grassroots level. It allows citizens to directly bring corruption-related complaints to the Chief Minister and ministers, enabling appropriate action.

He warned corrupt officials that governance was no longer confined to an administrative ivory tower, as the government was reaching out to people and addressing their grievances.

Odisha Vigilance Records Higher Conviction Rate

Highlighting the achievements of Odisha Vigilance, the Chief Minister said the conviction rate stood at 50 per cent in 2025 and had increased to 65 per cent by September 2026.

Over the past two-and-a-half years, action has been taken against several senior officials, including an IAS officer, eight chief engineer-level officials, five tehsildars and four block development officers (BDOs), among others.

Majhi said the government was strengthening vigilance mechanisms to ensure strict legal action against those involved in corruption, irrespective of their position or tenure.

Technology to Strengthen Transparency

The Chief Minister highlighted the role of technology and the JAM (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) framework in reducing corruption and ensuring that welfare benefits reach intended beneficiaries.

He also announced that a Preventive Vigilance Research Wing was being established within Odisha Vigilance to identify corruption-prone areas and improve transparency in governance.

Vigilance Officials Honoured

Under the theme “Integrity for Prosperity,” Majhi urged government employees to make honesty and ethical conduct an integral part of their lives.

The Koraput Vigilance Division was recognised as the best division for 2025, while the Angul unit received the best unit award. Sadananda Pani, Vaibhavmala Swain and Salil Kumar Pradhan were also honoured in their respective categories.

Chief Secretary Anu Garg and Vigilance Director Yashwant Kumar Jethwa attended the programme.

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