Bhubaneswar | In 2025, adopting a hardline stance against corruption, the Odisha Vigilance Department launched an extensive crackdown on graft entrenched across the state administration. Over the course of the year, the department registered 202 criminal cases and arrested 212 government employees. Officials said the drive stands out not only for the number of cases but also for the scale of seizures, convictions and service dismissals—marking one of the most comprehensive anti-corruption campaigns to date.
Presenting the department’s annual performance, Vigilance Director Y K Jethwa said the cases involved 53 Class-I officers. The list includes one IAS officer, 36 engineers, 17 forest officials, 20 revenue officials, a joint commissioner, a joint director, two project directors, two GST officers, two excise superintendents, 16 police officers, and five doctors, besides other personnel from various departments who came under the scanner.
During 2025, the department registered 49 cases of disproportionate assets (DA), unearthing illicit assets worth nearly ₹120 crore. In parallel, 97 trap cases were laid, leading to the arrest of 114 individuals, including 105 government officers, with ₹26.27 lakh in bribe money seized. Officials said the swift action in trap cases sent a strong deterrent message across the administrative machinery.
The scale of seizures underscored the breadth of the operation. Vigilance teams confiscated 153 buildings, 714 plots, 12 farmhouses, 18.3 kilograms of gold, bank deposits worth ₹36.69 crore, and ₹8.81 crore in cash. According to the department, these assets were spread across multiple cities and districts and were sealed following phased investigations and due legal processes.
Jethwa noted that the department’s focus extended beyond arrests to post-investigation outcomes, with emphasis on timely charge-sheeting and disposal of cases. As a result, 479 cases were disposed of during the year, delivering a record-high disposal rate of 237%—a milestone credited with reducing pendency and expediting judicial proceedings.
The year also saw convictions in 108 cases, accounting for nearly 50% of the total. Consequent disciplinary action led to 24 government employees being dismissed from service, while pensions of 50 retired officials were stopped following their convictions. Officials said the stringent punitive measures strengthened accountability within the government system.
Administrative sources indicated that the 2025 campaign also set the roadmap for future action. Plans are underway to further strengthen digital forensics, asset-tracking mechanisms, and inter-departmental coordination. The government believes that sustained monitoring, faster investigations and time-bound prosecutions are essential to impose a lasting check on corruption.
Overall, the 2025 vigilance drive in Odisha is being seen as a decisive turning point—not only in terms of numbers, but also for reinforcing transparency and restoring public trust in governance.
