Bhubaneswar: Odisha Information Commission (OIC) has set a new benchmark in case disposal, clearing 12,928 cases over the past ten months and dramatically reducing its backlog from 22,611 to 9,688 cases.
The sharp rise in disposal rate follows the appointment of State Chief Information Commissioner (SCIC) and three new Information Commissioners in April 2025. Since then, the commission has prioritised expeditious hearings, minimised unnecessary adjournments, and ensured timely access to information for applicants under the RTI Act.
In a significant milestone, the Commission has cleared all pending cases from 2021 and 2022. Only a limited number of cases from 2023 and 2024 remain, and hearings have already commenced for fresh cases filed in 2025 and 2026. Beyond speedy disposal, the commission has issued several key directives to enhance transparency. The commission directed Odisha Public Service Commission to disclose interview marks of all candidates and instructed the Odisha Staff Selection Commission to provide skill test and computer test marks to both successful and unsuccessful candidates.
In cases where Public Information Officers (PIOs) denied information citing ‘non-availability’, the commission has ordered departmental inquiries by senior officials to fix accountability and initiate disciplinary action against erring officers. The commission has also launched a special drive to identify habitual applicants misusing fake BPL cards to seek information free of cost and filing hundreds of applications on identical subjects, allegedly to clog the system. In one instance, an RTI applicant from Bolangir was referred to police after being accused of demanding a bribe from a PIO to withdraw an application.
So far, the commission has imposed penalties amounting to Rs 1,47,76,250 on officials for delays and unjustified denial of information. In a recent order, SCIC Manoj Parida levied a penalty of Rs 25,000 on a police official in Ganjam district for violating provisions of the RTI Act. To further streamline operations, the commission has begun rigorous screening to filter out frivolous and repetitive RTI applications. Despite staff shortages, it is disposing of nearly 1,500 cases every month while receiving around 500 new cases during the same period.
Additionally, a high-level committee has been constituted to monitor non-implementation of commission orders and escalate matters to the state government to ensure strict compliance. Officials said the sustained push reflects the commission’s renewed focus on transparency, accountability, and timely delivery of information to citizens across Odisha.
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