By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR:The number of pending appeals and complaints in the Odisha Information Commission has come down from 22,611 to less than 14,000 in the last seven months. Due to limited hearings during the Covid pandemic and the subsequent availability of only two Information Commissioners in the Commission, a large number of cases had accumulated.
After the new government assumed charge, in April 2025, it appointed four additional Information Commissioners along with the State Chief Information Commissioner. State Chief Information Commissioner, Manoj Parida said that the Commission has started a special drive for speedy disposal of the cases.
Unnecessary adjournments are being discouraged. Preference is being given to individual information applicants over applicants who have filed multiple cases on the same subject. The number of hearings through video conferencing has been increased. The Commission is reviewing the progress of the disposal rate every week. The earlier practice of summer vacation has been abolished. All the appeals are being heard in person and justice is being delivered.
The Odisha Information Commission has issued several historic verdicts in the last few months.
In a significant order, the Chief Information Commissioner of the state, Shri Manoj Parida, has directed the OPSC to provide interview marks of all the examinations conducted by them to every candidate. In the past, OPSC used to provide interview marks of only a limited number of examinations to candidates. Similar directions have also been given to the Staff Selection Commission, forcing them to provide marks obtained in the Computer/Typing Proficiency Test.
In another important matter, Information Commissioner, Shri Sushant Kumar Mohanty has ordered to impose sanctions on those who are misusing the RTI Act and filing hundreds of cases. Instead of intimidating PIOs with hefty fines, the Commission is giving priority to providing information and is imposing fines only on those officers where there is habitual and wilful negligence. The Commission said that by the end of next year, the number of pending cases could be reduced to just a few thousand, so that the waiting time for information applicants will not exceed 30 days.
The Hon’ble High Court of Odisha has, in various judgments, ruled that the steps taken by the Information Commission for speedy disposal of the case are just and justified.
Meanwhile, the State Chief Information Commissioner has requested the Chief Secretary through a letter to all the District Collectors to review the RTI cases in their districts on a quarterly basis. The Commission has directed all the departments to upload basic information related to the department on their websites, so that RTI applicants can easily access the required information. The Commission has also recommended that only senior and competent employees be appointed as PIOs and Appellate Authorities and that these employees be given regular training.
In the last few years, the Commission has imposed a fine of Rs. 1,47,76,250/- against negligent employees and has recommended disciplinary action against 1857 employees, and has ordered compensation of Rs. 16,54,000/-.
