Bhubaneswar:m Bringing decades of administrative experience to the role, retired IAS officer Manoj Kumar Parida has been appointed as the new Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Odisha. A former officer of the AGMUT cadre, Parida most recently served as the Insurance Ombudsman in Bhubaneswar, where he completed a three-year term handling public grievances and regulatory issues.
His appointment marks a significant step in reinforcing transparency and accountability in governance under the Right to Information (RTI) framework. Parida will now lead the Odisha State Information Commission, which plays a crucial role in adjudicating RTI appeals, addressing complaints of denied information, and monitoring departmental compliance with RTI obligations.
Alongside Parida, the state government has inducted three new Information Commissioners to the Commission. These include retired IPS officer Pranabindu Acharya, Orissa High Court advocate Kalpana Pattnaik, and retired IAS officer Pabitra Mandal. Their diverse backgrounds in law enforcement, legal practice, and civil administration are expected to strengthen the Commission’s ability to handle a wide range of RTI cases.
Constituted under the RTI Act of 2005, the Odisha State Information Commission functions as an independent statutory body. It is responsible for ensuring that public authorities fulfill their duty to provide information to citizens, thereby upholding the principles of transparency and participatory governance.
With this new leadership in place, the Commission is set to play an even more proactive role in safeguarding citizens’ right to information across the state.
