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ଓଡ଼ିଆ | ENGLISH

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Published By : Prashant Dash | October 11, 2025 9:30 PM
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​​​​​​​Bhubaneswar, Oct 11: In a landmark ruling, the Odisha Information Commission on Saturday slapped Rs 25,000 fine on the BDO, Mahakalapara in Kendrapara district, for his deliberate denial and delay in providing information to an applicant, sought under Right to Information Act (RTIA).

In the unprecedented order served by the Odisha Information Commision to the offender, the concerned BDO is asked to pay the fine to the appellant.

Apart from it, the commission has directed the District Collector Kendrapara, to enquire, report and initiate disciplinary action against the violators, accountable for the inordinate delay in providing public information for evading the RTI whip.

According to report, one Subrat Kumar Sethi, a native of Teragan village under Marshaghai police station limits, had filed a slew of RTI applications seeking information from the Teragan Gram Panchayat and the Block Development Office, Mahakalpara. However, despite multiple requests and appeals, the concerned authorities failed to furnish the information.

Following this, the matter was brought before the Odisha Information Commission. While hearing the appeal, State Information Commissioner Susanta Kumar Mohanty found that the officials had repeatedly ignored summons and failed to appear in hearings held on July 21, September 4, and October 9, 2025.

Thus, the OIC vehemently slammed the conduct of the concerned 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 issued instruction to the Collector and District Magistrate, Kendrapara to launch an enquiry to identify the accountable officials and take disciplinary action against them for their delinquencies.

Worth mentioning, the Right to Information Act 2005 and the ensuing rules framed by the Odisha government are instrumental as crusade against traditional official secrecy.The Act has also provision of slapping sizeable fine Rs 250 per day amounting upto Rs 25,000 from public servants if they deny or delay in providing requisite public information in time, sought by a righteous applicant.The amount levied from the offenders goes to the state exchequer.

In a first, the recent order issued by the OIC seems significant as the fine levied from the BDO, is asked to be paid to the appellant who was thrown from post to pillar, to have some official information i.e his statutory rights.