Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday accused the previous BJD government of undermining the future of students and youth by selling government jobs for exorbitant sums, while introducing the Odisha Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill 2024 in the Assembly.
Criticizing the earlier regime, Majhi alleged widespread irregularities in the government job selection process. He revealed that corruption had reached alarming levels, with Assistant Section Officer (ASO) posts reportedly being sold for ₹25-30 lakh each.
“The rampant corruption not only jeopardized the careers of aspiring youth but also demoralized hardworking students and their families who invested significant effort and resources in preparation,” said the Chief Minister.
Majhi highlighted a major scandal during the 2023 junior engineer examinations, where question papers were leaked, exposing the corrupt practices of officials involved.
Assuring the Assembly of stringent measures against such malpractices, Majhi declared, “My government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption. Transparency and integrity will be upheld in all spheres of governance.”
The proposed Bill seeks to introduce severe penalties for individuals found guilty of corrupt practices during recruitment processes, including imprisonment.
Sending a strong warning to corrupt officials, Majhi stated, “Those involved in such malpractices must mend their ways or face serious consequences.”
The Chief Minister emphasized that the legislation is a vital step towards restoring public trust in the recruitment system and ensuring a level playing field for all candidates.