Odisha Chief Minister’s Speech at Vigilance Awareness Week Celebrations
“The observance of Vigilance Awareness Week is an apt occasion for all of us to carry out a thorough introspection of ourselves, to reaffirm our commitment to provide efficient, clean and transparent governance for the welfare of our citizens. The role of responsive, well informed, and vigilant citizens in fighting the menace of corruption is paramount, and the Vigilance Awareness Week, gives an occasion to raise the awareness of our people.
It has been the endevour of my Government to provide efficient and corruption free administration to the people of Odisha. In pursuit of this goal, my Government has, over the years, created and strengthened several institutional mechanism to channel complaints of people into concrete actions in order to combat and eradicate corruption from the public life.
The real objective of having a clean and transparent mechanism requires system strengthening. The system works between the public who need to avail services from the Government and the officials who provide the service for the Government. This system of service delivery needs to be strengthened persistently with appropriate mechanism.
With the implementation of RTI Act and various transparency measures, we have been trying to empower the people and build up a strong mechanism. Besides, we have taken several initiatives like e-payments, e-tendering, Right to Public Service Act, single window system, payment of wages and benefits through bank payments, involvement of beneficiaries in monitoring mechanism, community involvement and involvement of PRIs, and an appropriate grievance redressal mechanism.
A Government has to work on all these fronts so as to reduce corruption and improve transparency. My government is working to bring about absolute transparency in all spheres of governance and empower people through a hassle-free service delivery mechanism.
Our continued emphasis on effective prosecution in courts have started yielding rich dividends, and I am happy to learn that conviction percentage in Vigilance cases has reached a record 48 percent this year. The investigators and prosecutors of the Department deserve appreciation and they should carry forward such good work.
It is a matter of immense satisfaction that our pioneering efforts both in legislation and implementation have received nation-wide recognition and the State Government of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajastan have enacted similar legislation in the line of the Odisha Special Courts Act.
The Central Vigilance Commission has chosen the theme “Preventive Vigilance as a tool of Good Governance” for the Awareness Week this year. I am happy to note that State Vigilance as part of Preventive Vigilance has been conducting simultaneous surprise checks throughout the State in recent part to prevent and detect corruption in various flagship programmes and development activities of the State Government. This should continue more vigorously.
I congratulate the Odisha Vigilance Department for its relentless efforts against corruption and hope it will resolutely continue its good work for rooting out the menace of corruption.”
On the occasion, the Chief Minister released a special postal cover and released a short film on Vigilance Helpline-1064. He also conducted a pledge taking on transparency by officers. He awarded several officers for their performance. Sambalpur Vigilance Division received prize as the best division, Baripada unit of Balasore division received the best unit award. Laxminarayan Panda, DSP, Baragarh Division received best I.O award and Special PP of of Phulbani and Berhampur division got the best P.P. award. Students also received awards for winning various competitions.
The function was attended by MP Dr Prasanna Patsani, Chief Secretary G. C. Pati, Vigilance Director K. B. Singh and senior officers of Vigilance Department.