Odisha Man Barred for RTI Abuse: A Cautionary Tale
The Odisha State Information Commission has barred Chittaranjan Sethy from filing new RTI applications for a year due to repeated misuse of the process. On submitting 61 applications to obtain the same information, a cap of 12 yearly applications is imposed on him, along with other restrictions.
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The Odisha State Information Commission has taken a firm stance against the misuse of the Right to Information (RTI) Act by an individual in Puri district. Chittaranjan Sethy, from Satapuri village, has been prohibited from submitting new RTI requests for a year.
State Information Commissioner Susanta Kumar Mohanty highlighted that Sethy filed 61 applications within the Meteipur gram panchayat and Nimapara Block office, seeking repetitive data on financial and developmental activities, despite receiving responses and inspection opportunities.
Furthermore, his actions led to an order capping new RTI submissions to 12 per year. The directive also includes mandatory affidavits and potential scrutiny of Sethy's BPL card validity by the Collector and District Magistrate, Puri. A state-wide advisory urges departments to dismiss burdensome queries from him.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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