Bhubaneswar: After assuming charge as the Chief Secretary of Odisha, Anu Garg met Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today. To revitalize the state administration, the Chief Minister issued a comprehensive 15-point directive to the Chief Secretary. He instructed that work be carried out on a priority basis to achieve the state’s long-term goals. The government has set a target to build a prosperous Odisha with a $500 billion economy by 2036 and to position Odisha among the top five developed states in the country through a “mixed economy” approach.
The Chief Minister emphasized the rapid development of knowledge-driven industries and the service sector. The directive highlights the need to fast-track industrialization across the state, instructing all District Collectors to expedite various administrative processes.
Furthermore, the CM has ordered that all vacant government positions be filled within the next two years. Emphasizing the need for efficient and trained officials, he directed strict action against corrupt, incompetent, and irresponsible employees under Article 311 of the Constitution and the Odisha Services Rules. This includes provisions for compulsory retirement, reflecting the CM’s firm resolve to ensure a transparent, efficient, and active administration.
The directive also stresses regular review and evaluation for the successful implementation of various projects. To boost research and assessment, the Nabakrushna Choudhury Centre for Development Studies (NCDS) will be developed into a “Centre of Excellence.”
The Chief Minister has made the use of the Odia language mandatory for all types of government work, including notices, notifications, and official correspondence. This order must be strictly followed by all officials from the Secretariat down to the block level. Those failing to comply will be served show-cause notices, reinforcing the government’s commitment to using Odia as the official language.
The CM also instructed that public grievance redressal be treated with the utmost seriousness. Officials at all levels—from the Secretariat to blocks and Tehsils—must listen to people’s problems and resolve them promptly. He suggested the extensive use of social media for grievance handling.
To ensure problems are resolved based on ground reality, officials at all levels have been advised to undertake field visits. Detailed reports of these visits must be submitted, which will be considered during the performance appraisal of the officers.
There is widespread discussion that this 15-point directive will certainly energize the state’s administration. The primary objective of these guidelines is to make the governance more transparent, efficient, people-oriented, and dynamic.
