Bhubaneswar: Right to Information (RTI) activists are up in arms over the Odisha Information Commission (OIC)’s move to close around 6,000 cases pending since 2021-22 in an apparent bid to reduce its burden by summarily clearing its backlog of cases.While journalist-turned-activist Rabi Das described the step as arbitrary and an attack on the RTI Act itself, eminent RTI campaigner Anjali Bhardwaj, who participated in a state-level public hearing on the OIC’s functioning in Bhubaneswar on August 22, expressed shock over the development.“Shocking decision of Odisha Info Commission to close 6,000 pending cases unless applicants indicate they wish to continue the case – people shared the notices received by them at the public hearing in Bhubaneswar. After failing to dispose matters in a timely manner, now commission is trying to illegally close cases & reduce its backlog. Decision must be withdrawn immediately,” she wrote on her X handle.Major opposition parties in the state have also condemned the move. Expressing solidarity with RTI activists, state Congress president Bhakta Charan Das called the decision unacceptable.“It’s unacceptable that Odisha Info Commission wants to shut 6,000 RTI cases instead of ensuring justice to the applicants. Accountability cannot be buried under backlog. This is both against the spirit of RTI Act and the democratic right of citizens,” he said in a post on X.Former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Latika Pradhan described the move as the “most undemocratic thing” that can happen to the people of a state. Lending a political colour to the controversy, she took a dig at the new BJP government of Odisha. “Anything is possible under this regime. This is what the much-vaunted double engine government does to the people,” she said.The matter came to light after some complainants in RTI cases received notices from the OIC informing them of its intention to close nearly 6,000 cases pertaining to 2021 and 2022.In its notice, the OIC also claimed that many appellants were not appearing before it or seeking adjournments in their cases, perhaps “due to the fact that the required information has already been received by them during the pendency of the case or that they are no more interested in pursuing the matter”.Thus, the commission in a meeting on June 13 decided “to dispose all these old pending cases second appeal/complaint as closed unless the appellant/complainant specifically wishes to continue the matter”. Appellants were given until August 15 to inform the OIC of their desire to do so.Well-known RTI activist Pradip Pradhan, who had filed 22 complaints before the OIC in 2021-22, received a surprising reply from the panel when he sought details of its decision.The reply from the commission’s public information officer to his RTI query in this regard said, “The full commission meets every week on Fridays to informally discuss office related matters & decisions, if any, are taken verbally. On 13.6.2025 the full commission met in their usually weekly meeting to discuss official matters. No formal or official minutes were as such issued. Hence, the information sought for may be treated as NIL.”Pradhan described the commission’s move as completely undemocratic and against the spirit of the RTI Act. “They just cannot close a case without a hearing. But to my knowledge so far, 800 cases have already been closed. We have lodged a protest in this connection with the governor, the chief minister and also the information commissioner. We remain determined to pursue the matter as it concerns the democratic rights of the citizens,” said Pradhan.The activist also pointed out that the commission while issuing notices to the appellants mentions only the case number and not the subject matter of the case which, if the case happens to be old, is often difficult to recall.“Cases have been pending with the commission for several years and it is not possible to immediately remember the details of each case. The commission should mention the subject of the case to make recall easy,” said Pradhan.Describing the OIC’s move as arbitrary and violative of not only the RTI Act, 2005 but also of the fundamental rights guaranteed under the constitution, RTI activist Archer Sri Ardhendu Narayan Behera demanded immediate reconsideration of decision in the larger interest of Odisha’s people.“As RTI activists we always keep the interests of the larger public in our mind. Hence we remain determined to pursue this issue and ensure that cases are not closed without proper hearing,” he said.With Odisha frequently reporting cases of human and food rights violations, especially in its poverty-ravaged hinterland, RTI activists have been quite active in the state. On a rough estimate, around 5,000-6,000 RTI cases are filed every year and the outcome of these cases are eagerly awaited.“We are defenders of the people’s rights. That is why we are so concerned over the development,” Pradhan said.