My govt gave appointments to 37,916 people in last 18 months: Odisha CM Majhi

Bhubaneswar, Dec 11 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday said his government has appointed 37,916 people during its 18 months in office and is committed to fulfilling its promise of filling 65,000 government posts within the first two years.

Majhi made the remarks while handing over appointment letters to 591 newly recruited officers and employees in three departments — Water Resources (252), Housing and Urban Development (142) and Works (197).

Majhi said, "Our government has promised to fill all the 1.5 lakh vacant posts in five years and to fill 65,000 government posts in two years." Stating that 37,916 appointments have already been made across 13 phases, Majhi said another 30,000 appointments would be completed in the next six months, while 15,000 additional posts would be filled "very soon".

He advised the new recruits to remain free of corruption and committed to implementing public welfare schemes effectively. "Stay above corruption and work with dedication for the development of society and the state," he said.

Criticising the previous BJD government, Majhi said regular recruitment had stopped during its tenure and posts remained vacant after retirements, forcing departments to rely on outsourced and contractual workers.

"If we do not appoint regular employees, how will such a huge budget be utilised? Important government data may also be compromised," he said.

Majhi said Odisha’s goal of becoming a ‘Viksit Odisha’ by 2036 would not be possible without the contribution of government employees.

On the occasion, the chief minister also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for various irrigation-related projects.

He said the state was poised to witness rapid infrastructure development as the government had significantly increased capital expenditure.

"In the current budget, over Rs 65,000 crore has been earmarked for capital expenditure alone. With the supplementary budget provisions added, this will exceed Rs 68,000 crore," he said, adding that engineers would have a major role in ensuring effective utilisation of these funds.

Stating that the government aims to enhance agricultural production and productivity by strengthening irrigation facilities, Majhi dedicated the ‘Mukhyamantri Adibandh Yojana 3.0’ to the people.

Under the scheme, Rs 2,738 crore has been allocated for the construction of 3,000 new check dams and renovation of 2,000 existing ones over the next five years, which will provide irrigation to about 48,000 hectares.

Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra and Development Commissioner Anu Garg also spoke at the event. PTI BBM BBM MNB