Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday warned block development officers to fall in line with his government’s work culture or be ready to face disciplinary action.

Addressing a two-day conference of chief development officers (CDOs) and block development officers (BDOs) at Lok Seva Convention Centre here, Majhi asserted that he will not tolerate corruption, inefficiency and partiality.

The chief minister clarified that the offficers have to forget the mindset they had when the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government was in power. He warned that those failing to “shed old habits” will face necessary action.

Without naming the BJD directly, Majhi also underscored the urgent need for the officers to get rid of their past political affiliations and loyalties.

The chief minister said that the power and autonomy given to the officers must be used for serving the people and that they should stop working under pressure.

Majhi said the officers must not mistake his simplicity for weakness. “I have come from grassroots level, but officers must not mistake my simplicity for leniency. I can be tough with those who fail to adhere to discipline,” the chief minister said.

He also announced that performance evaluation of BDOs will now be done first by the respective district collectors and warned the state government will not hesitate to show the door to poor performers.

Majhi reminded the block development officers that the success of his governance solely depends on the performance of the administrative machineries at the block level.

“The-block level officers directly come in touch with the people at the grassroots. People come to them with their grievances, their issues must be addressed. They must be treated with empathy. All should remember that block development officers are the bridge between the administration and the people at the grassroots.”

Stating that the officers who fail to perform will be shown the door, he said the move is aimed at ensuring greater accountability and efficiency. He asked the officers to maintain cordial relations with elected representatives.

The chief minister emphasised on the need for mutual respect in governance and said that officers should treat public representatives with due honour. Highlighting the role of development officers as public servants, Majhi asked them to work to solve people’s grievances. He also cited how Prime Minister Narendra Modi considered himself as a “sevak”.

Referring to the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Majhi said steps should be taken to replace machines as manual labour has to be prioritised to boost rural employment.

Majhi made them aware how the state government is taking a number of initiatives to make Odisha a developed state by 2036 when the state will observe its 100 years of its statehood formation.

Panchayati raj minister Rabi Narayan Naik and chief secretary Manoj Ahhuja also spoke on the occasion.

Vigilance raids

The Odisha vigilance launched simultaneous raids at properties and offices of an additional block development officer (ABDO) on Thursday morning, an official said.

On the allegation of acquisition of disproportionate assets beyond his known sources of income, vigilance teams conducted search operations at seven locations belonging to the ABDO of Dharmasala block in Jajpur district, the official said.

The raids were launched at seven locations in Jajpur, Cuttack, Bhadrak and Khurda (Bhubaneswar) districts.

Additional reporting by PTI