Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Information Commission has reduced its pending caseload from 22,000 to 5,500 cases in 18 months through a special drive, State Chief Information Commissioner Manoj Parida informed Governor of Odisha during a courtesy meeting on Monday.
Parida, accompanied by Information Commissioners Jagannath Rath, Pranabindu Acharya, Pabitra Mandal and Kalpana Pattnaik, briefed the Governor on the Commission’s initiatives to expedite case disposal and improve access to information under the Right to Information (RTI) framework.
The Commission has adopted several measures to streamline adjudication, including issuing short orders on the day of hearings. It has also been conducting all hearings in Odia to make the process more accessible to applicants.
To facilitate participation by people from remote areas, the Commission has introduced videoconferencing facilities, eliminating the need for applicants to travel to Bhubaneswar for hearings. Online filing of applications and digital uploading of final orders have also been made available.
Parida further informed the Governor that nearly 300 law interns had received exposure and training in RTI-related matters.
The Commission has also been pursuing cases of non-implementation of its orders with the Chief Secretary for appropriate action, the Governor was informed.
