Bhubaneswar: Lambasting the previous BJD government over alleged corruption, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Monday warned officials against involving in dishonest practices.
Majhi said this while addressing officials after inaugurating the Vigilance Awareness Week, which will continue till November 3.
“Corruption was rampant under the previous BJD government in the name of 5T and all the officials involved in such practices will not be spared by the BJP government,” the CM asserted.
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Drawing a comparison between cancer and corruption, Majhi said his government has decided to remove corrupt officials from the system to provide clean governance to the people of the state.
The government has started taking action in this direction, he added.
Majhi pointed out that in the first 140 days of his government, at least six chief engineers, a joint commissioner of excise department and other senior officials were booked under corruption charges.
The Chief Minister said that the Vigilance Department, for the first time, has taken action against six chief engineer rank officers and they have been sent to jail for indulging in corruption and creating a huge amount of assets disproportionate to the known sources of their income.
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The vigilance has seized 233 plots located in Bhubaneswar, and several districts, 32 buildings and flats located in Bhubaneswar and other places, 6 kg of gold ornaments, bank deposits of Rs 10 crore, and Rs 21 lakh in cash from the six chief engineers, he pointed out.
“This is a trailer and the movie is yet to come. None will be spared. Our government is committed to zero tolerance towards corruption,” Majhi said, cautioning dishonest people not to ignore his warning.
Speaking at the event, Vigilance Director Yeshwant Kumar Jethwa said they have registered 88 corruption cases in the last four months against 123 people, including 24 class-1 officers and 12 class-2 officers.
Majhi said that 26 DA cases have been registered during the period, in which disproportionate assets worth Rs 77.28 crore were unearthed.
In the four months, 89 accused, including 22 class-1 officers and 11 class-2 officers, have been arrested and sent to judicial custody, he said.
“We have focused on prosecution to get maximum conviction. In the last four months, 40 accused, including six class-1 officers and five class-2 officers, have been convicted in 32 cases,” he stated.
PTI