The Odisha government has asked all its departments to enforce the premature retirement of government officers and employees deemed incompetent or lacking integrity.

In a letter to departmental secretaries, chief secretary Manoj Ahuja stressed the necessity of systematic reviews to weed out officers and employees of doubtful integrity.

The move comes in the wake of chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi telling the state Assembly that as many as 120 employees, including officers, were dismissed from their jobs and 39 were given compulsory retirement on the grounds of indulging in corruption and acquiring disproportionate assets between 2020 and 2024.

The state government has also seized properties worth ₹59.47 crore. The state vigilance on Tuesday raided the house of an executive officer of Jatnai municipality in Khurda district and seized cash worth ₹17 lakh.

The chief secretary pointed out how the very purpose of the government is defeated, and the officers who are lacking in standard of efficiency are continuing in government jobs. “This not only brings inefficiency in the system but is highly detrimental to the public interest,” a release said.