By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: It seems, the level of corruption has doubled in Odisha in last 19 months of BJP Government led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Government while crime against women are on rise with no takers while Government showing arrests and raids and no impact on corruption and corrupted elements.
Government says, it’s adopting zero tolerance but it has not verified its impact on Government employees and officials.
A zero-tolerance policy against corruption led to over 200 arrests of officials (including 90+ Class-I officers), unearthing Rs 215 crore in assets, 25 Kg of Gold, and 840 land plots. 30 officials were dismissed, signalling a cleanup drive under CM Majhi’s Home portfolio but arrest and raids seems have no impact.
Slow action on BJD-era scams ( like mining worth Rs 3 lakh crore, chit funds) contradicted anti-corruption claims. Populist optics without long-term policies led to disenchantment, with Congress moving a no-confidence motion over unemployment and stalled projects. Opposition highlighted a trust deficit between officials and ministers, slow decision-making, and lack of a unified vision.
Despite these strides, the government has been plagued by controversies, governance lapses, and unfulfilled promises, leading to protests, bandhs, and eroded public goodwill. Opposition parties like BJD and Congress have labelled it a “total failure,” citing inefficiency and insensitivity.
Odisha saw over 40,947 crimes against women in the first 18 months, including high-profile cases like gang rapes at Gopalpur Beach and self-immolations due to harassment. Communal clashes in Balasore (June 2024) and attacks on minorities in Remuna (January 2025) raised safety concerns.
The 2025 Rath Yatra stampede in Puri, causing three deaths and hundreds injured, was blamed on poor crowd management under CM Majhi’s Home portfolio and potentially Pravati Parida’s Tourism oversight. Rising per capita crime rates (3.8% growth, 8th nationally) and police misconduct have drawn NHRC complaints, with critics accusing the government of leniency and reactive responses rather than prevention.
An 18.19% cut in central funds was attributed to inefficiency, with unfulfilled “double engine” promises. Healthcare collapsed in 19 districts due to vacancies, and the Mission Shakti program (under Deputy CM Pravati Parida) deteriorated, leaving millions of women disheartened. Farmers still face middlemen issues despite bonuses.
The government launched the Subhadra Yojana, a women’s empowerment program that has created 17 lakh “Lakhpati Didis” (women achieving financial independence through self-help groups and entrepreneurship). This has been hailed as a national success, with Odisha emerging as the top-performing state in this initiative. But crime against women are on rise.
Additionally, farmers received an extra Rs 800 per quintal bonus on paddy procurement, supported by a record Rs 37,838 crore allocation to agriculture but farmer complained fertilizer shortage, irregularities in paddy procurement.
Plans for 5 lakhs “Antyodaya” homes for the underprivileged and piped drinking water to 90% of households by 2026 looks remote.
File movement delays prompted CM Majhi to flag bureaucratic slowness, seen as an admission of failure. Appointments of non-Odia IAS/IPS officers ( Anu Garg as Chief Secretary-YB Khurania as DGP) contradicted the BJP’s “Odia Asmita” campaign, fuelling nationalism debates.
The Majhi cabinet’s 19-month tenure shows progress in welfare and anti-corruption, aligning with BJP’s “double engine” vision, but failures in law and order, administrative efficiency, and addressing legacy issues have fuelled opposition narratives of incompetence. Public perception remains divided, with successes building goodwill in rural and tribal areas, while urban and minority concerns highlight gaps. Future performance will depend on resolving these criticisms and delivering on long-term goals like a $500 billion economy by 2036.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Odisha, led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, assumed office on June 12, 2024, marking the end of the 24-year rule by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Over the last 19 months (from June 2024 to January 2026), the cabinet has comprised 16 ministers, including the CM and two deputy CMs, with portfolios allocated across key sectors such as home, finance, agriculture, women and child development, and more.
The government’s performance has been a mix of proactive reforms in welfare, anti-corruption, and infrastructure, but it has also faced significant criticism for lapses in law and order, administrative inefficiencies, and handling of cultural and communal issues.
