Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today appealed to the people of the state to renew their resolve to fight against corruption and strengthen the transparency and anti-corruption initiatives of the government.
Addressing the state level function organized to observe the Vigilance Awareness week here, Patnaik said the government has adopted a zero tolerance approach to corruption as corruption undermines growth, development and good governance. It also erodes the foundation of democracy and frustrates the hopes and aspiration of people by denying them the right to live with dignity.
Patnaik said, transparency figures at the top of the 5T initiatives undertaken by the government to achieve transformational goals in governance and ensure better delivery of public goods and services to the people. The Chief Minister said, with pro active steps like ‘’Mo Sarkar’’, the government is trying to empower people, the ultimate masters in a democracy for claiming their rightful entitlements. He said the state government has been taking a number of steps to strengthen the vigilance department to help them discharge their duty more professionally and serve the people in a better way.
A new Vigilance Division at Rourkela has been approved and a state vigilance academy has been established at Bhubanswar to upgrade the skill of the Vigilance officers is shaping well, Patnaik said. At the beginning, the Chief Minister administered the integration oath to all the people present at the function.
Mr Patnaik said, he believes that corruption has been one of the major obstacles to economic, political and social progress of the country and all stake holders such as government, citizens and private sector need to work together to eradicate corruption. Every citizen should be vigilant and commit to highest standards of honesty and integrity of all times and support the fight against corruption.
Director Vigilance Debashis Panigrahi said this year a number of ‘’Integrity clubs’’ in schools and colleges have been established to ensure that ethical values are permanently ingrained in the minds of younger generation. In addition to it gram sabhas were organized in rural areas involving self help groups and members of gram panchayats to raise awareness among the people at the grass root level to fight corruption. (UNI)
