The Odisha High Court has directed the State Government to issue notification regarding free information to BPl cardholders under RTI Act within three months. One Dhoba Sahu of Kalahandi had filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking its direction.
On July 23, the HC had passed order asking the State Government to act within a period of three months, stated a press release issued by rights activist and Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan convenor Pradip Pradhan. Earlier, based on the complaint of one Kunja Bihari Patra of Dasapalla in Nayagarh district regarding information under RTI to BPl persons, the HC had also directed the Government to give information free of cost to BPl information seekers. But after a long time the State Government has neither notified it in the gazette nor amended the Odisha RTI rules in this connection.
Recently during first week of July, Dhoba Sahu of Dabriguda village in Kalahandi district who is also a BPl cardholder and RTI activist had filed a writ petition in the Odisha High Court seeking its direction to the Government to act upon the recommendation of Odisha Information Commission based on the Kunja Bihari Patra case.