Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday exhorted the people of the state to join the fight against corruption and build a better society for “ourselves as well as the future generation”.
Speaking at a function to observe Vigilance Awareness Week at Rabindra Mandap here, he also called upon all public servants to maintain the highest standards of probity and integrity and serve the people in the true spirit of service.
“I congratulate Odisha Vigilance for its excellent track record in combating corruption and exhort the vigilance officers to work with even greater zeal and dedication. I also call upon all public servants to maintain the highest standards of probity and integrity and serve the people in the true spirit of service,” he said.
He said he was glad the Vigilance Awareness Week was being observed throughout the state on the theme “Eradicate Corruption- Build a New India” in a befitting manner involving all stakeholders and all sectors of the society, especially the students and the youth.
“All of us are aware that anti-corruption and transparency are the two key elements to ensure probity and accountability in the public sphere. These are also critical to ensure development and good governance,” he said.
Patnaik said the government has been persistently striving to deliver basic services to the people at the grassroots level in a fair and transparent manner and that it has also been its firm resolve to eradicate corruption in implementation of welfare and development schemes.
“I am happy to note that the Odisha Vigilance has recorded 51 per cent conviction in Vigilance cases in the first ten months this calendar year, which is 4 per cent higher than the rate of conviction during previous 2 years. My government has taken a series of measures to improve the investigative capacity and the prosecution system of the State Vigilance,” he said.
He said a State Vigilance Academy is also coming up at Bhubaneswar to upgrade the knowledge and skill of Vigilance officers on a continuous basis so as to retain their professional edge
PNN