Bhubaneswar: A delegation of the Odisha Information Commission (OIC), led by State Chief Information Commissioner (SCIC) Manoj Kumar Parida, paid a courtesy call on Governor Brajmohan Ram at Lok Bhavan here Monday and highlighted the commission’s efforts to reduce the number of pending cases from 22,000 to 5,500 in just 18 months through a special drive.
The delegation, which also comprised State Information Commissioners (SICs) Jagannath Rath, Pranabindu Acharia, Pabitra Mandal and Kalpana Pattnaik, said the special drive had reduced the number of pending cases from 22,000 to 5,500 in 18 months.
The commission said it had adopted best practices followed in the country by issuing short orders on the day of the hearing. It added that all hearings were conducted in Odia for the benefit of applicants. The commission has also provided videoconferencing facilities so that applicants from remote areas do not have to travel to Bhubaneswar for the adjudication of their cases.
It has also introduced online filing of applications and digital uploading of final orders, the delegation said. The SCIC said nearly 300 law interns had been given exposure to and training in matters related to the Right to Information (RTI).
The Governor was also informed that all cases involving the non-implementation of the commission’s orders had been taken up with the Chief Secretary for appropriate action.
