Bhubaneswar: In a landmark legal reform aimed at promoting trust-based governance, the Government of Odisha has approved the Odisha Jan Vishwas Ordinance, 2025.
The move seeks to decriminalize minor and procedural regulatory offences, rationalize penalties, and ease compliance under several State laws.
The ordinance aligns with the Central Government’s Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023, which advocates replacing criminal sanctions for non-serious defaults with proportionate civil penalties.
Odisha’s initiative, covering 16 State Acts across nine departments, is designed to enhance both Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) and Ease of Living (EoL).
Under the new framework, imprisonment for minor procedural lapses will be replaced by graded civil penalties, and administrative adjudication will ensure faster resolution of disputes. This is expected to reduce court backlogs, litigation costs, and regulatory uncertainty for both businesses and citizens.
The ordinance covers a wide range of sectors, including labour, trade, taxation, cooperative societies, fire safety, and municipal administration.
Among the key laws included are the Odisha Municipal Act (1950), Odisha Prevention of Gambling Act (1955), Odisha Shops and Commercial Establishments Act (1956), Odisha Co-operative Societies Act (1962), and Odisha Excise Act (2008).
The official press release said that the reform harmonizes Odisha’s laws with recent Central legislations like the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and will strengthen investor confidence by fostering transparent, predictable, and citizen-friendly governance.
As the State advances toward its “Viksit Odisha” vision, the ordinance marks a significant step toward reducing compliance burdens and building a more facilitative legal environment that encourages entrepreneurship and sustainable growth.
