After years of waiting, people, particularly illiterate, can now avail the decisions of the Odisah Information Commission (OIC) in Odia language as an Odia translator has been appointed at the OIC to provide information to the complainant in the regional language.
The OIC while complying with an RTI query revealed that one Srikant Biswal, an Odia translator was appointed on January 4 to provide information to the complainant/ appellant the decision of the OIC.
However, the OIC Public Information Officer (PIO) has also stated that as no complainant/appellant has sought the Odia copy of the decision of the OIC, the Commission has not yet supplied any copy of their decision in Odia language.
It deserves to be mentioned here that the so-called Odia-loving people appointed as Information Commissioners like Tarun Kanti Mishra, Jagadananad Mohanty hesitated to write their decision in Odia language.
In 2013, one Nilamani Joshi, an RTI activist of Balangir district had written a letter to OIC requesting it to take the photocopy of the decision of his second appeal in Odia language. But the then CIC Tarun Kanti refused him to give the decision of the case in Odia language.
Joshi challenged it in the Orissa High Court. While adjudicating the writ petition, the High Court directed the I&PR Department to appoint an Odia translatorwithin three months at the OIC.