Bhubaneswar: In a significant move underscoring the enforcement of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Odisha Information Commission (OIC) has ordered a compensation of Rs 25,000 to a Kendrapara-based RTI appellant for deliberate delay and non-compliance by government officials.
Subrat Kumar Sethy, a resident of Teragan village under Marshaghai police station limits, had filed several RTI applications seeking information from the Teragan Gram Panchayat and the Block Development Office of Mahakalpara Block. Despite multiple requests and appeals, the concerned authorities failed to furnish the information.
The matter was brought before the OIC, which found that the officials had repeatedly ignored summons and failed to appear in hearings held on July 21, September 4, and October 9, 2025. State Information Commissioner Susanta Kumar Mohanty, who presided over the case, criticised the conduct of the Public Information Officers (PIOs) and the First Appellate Authority (FAA), terming it a serious breach of the RTI Act’s principles of transparency and accountability.
Invoking Section 19(8)(b) of the RTI Act, the Commission directed the Block Development Officer of Mahakalpara to pay Rs 25,000 to the appellant within 30 days. It also instructed the Collector and District Magistrate of Kendrapara to launch an enquiry to identify the officials responsible and take disciplinary action.
“Apart from this, the Commission, in exercise of the powers under Section 20(2) of the RTI Act read with Rule 7(1)(c) of the Odisha Information Commission (Appeal Procedure) Rules, 2006, hereby authorises and directs the Collector, Kendrapara district, to conduct an administrative enquiry to identify the officer(s) responsible for causing obstruction in the timely supply of the available and permissible information to the appellant,” noted Commissioner Mohanty while delivering the verdict.
The ruling is being seen as a stern reminder to public officials across the state about the legal obligations under the RTI Act and the consequences of administrative apathy. Activists have welcomed the decision, calling it a much-needed assertion of citizens’ right to information.
