By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Dear brothers and sisters, Namaskar. In the year 2000, with the blessings of all of you I got an opportunity to serve mother Odisha. The post super cyclone situation and the fragile financial conditions then were biggest challenges for me. The state was running on overdraft. The Government was dependent on Reserve Bank of India for wage and means.
It was indeed a black period for the Odisha economy. The state exchequer was empty. There was tremendous pressure on our economy. We were lagging behind in various fields including health, education, infrastructure, agriculture, irrigation and many others. Our priority then was to bring improvement in all these sectors within our limited resources.
Government Recruitment was stopped completely. We were forced to abolish Government posts and it was very painful for me. The youths of my state were running from pillar to post for employment with government. I was really very sad. The only thing that was on top of my mind was- when would the situation improve? When would our children get regular recruitment in state government?
The blessings of Lord Jagannath and the support of all of you has all along been our biggest strength. With better financial management and good governance, the situation started to improve slowly.
The contractual recruitment system started in 2013. It was, too, a difficult decision for me. Now our economy has improved significantly. Odisha has created a new identity for itself in the field of development in the country. Last year, we substituted the contractual recruitment posts with initial appointee.
Today, I am delighted to announce that the State Cabinet has decided to abolish the contractual system of recruitment permanently. Even today, there are no regular recruitments in many states and they are still continuing with the contractual recruitment system. But in Odisha, the era of contractual recruitment has come to an end. I was waiting for this for this moment. The notification will come out tomorrow. More than 57 thousand employees will be benefited. The Government will spend approximately Rupees 1300 crore per annum. This decision brings early Diwali for their family members.
Today, Odisha is moving ahead with confidence. A strong and empowered Odisha. This is a golden moment in the history of Odisha.In this context, I would like to suggest all the Government employees to work sincerely. Serve the people with commitment. Follow the 5-T initiative of Team work, Technology, Transparency, Time and Transformation diligently while discharging your duty. Work hard to enhance the image of the Odisha , and play a significant role in the transformation of Odisha.
Bondey Utkal Janani
