Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi sent a clear message to district and neighborhood development officials on Thursday warning them not to stick to outdated practices and political loyalty.
Speaking during the two-day State Chief Development Officer (CDO) and Bhubaneswar (BDOS), the Chief Minister made it clear that inefficiency is no longer tolerated under his administration, IndiScipline and Partisisship.
Without the direct naming of Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Majhi’s remarks are widely regarded as calling on officials to cut ties with past political loyalty and dedicated to public services.
Mahi asserted: “You have delegated important powers and autonomy – using them to serve the people, not under the influence of any political entity.”
He warned: “I may have started from a humble grassroots level, but don’t mistake my simplicity for leniency. Severe action will be taken against those who ignore discipline and professional integrity.”
In a significant administrative shift, the Chief Minister announced that the performance evaluation of BDO will then be routed through the respective regional collectors. Officials who record records will be marked and considered for dismissal. He said the move aims to promote greater accountability and simplify grassroots governance.
Majhi also expressed dissatisfaction with reports of some officials who failed to maintain a cordial relationship with the MLA and elected public representatives. He stressed the importance of mutual respect in governance, directing officials to make appropriate considerations for public representatives, warning: “Frequent complaints of disrespect will no longer be ignored.”
The Chief Minister reiterated the role of development officials as civil servants, urging them to sympathize, address people’s dissatisfaction in a timely manner, and maintain the highest standards of transparency and efficiency.
In an important directive on rural employment, Majhi directed officials to phase out the use of machines in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Assurance Act (MGNREGA) project and give priority to manual labor, thereby promoting rural job opportunities.
Majhi concluded: “The government is firmly representing transparency, efficiency and service to the people. Officials aligned with this vision will be encouraged and supported; those who resist change will have no place among the new Oderisa people we are building.”
This issue marks the decisive claim of the new government’s intention to completely reform the governance mechanism at the grassroots level, and shows that there is a clear breakthrough from the political culture of the past.
