In a key administrative move, the Odisha government has appointed retired IAS officer Manoj Kumar Parida as the new Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of the Odisha State Information Commission, which operates under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. The announcement was made official through a government release on Wednesday.

Manoj Kumar Parida, a 1986-batch IAS officer from the AGMUT cadre (Arunachal Pradesh–Goa–Mizoram–Union Territories), will take over from Jalada Kumar Tripathy, a retired 1985-batch IPS officer and former senior police official of Tamil Nadu. Tripathy previously held the position of Chief Information Commissioner.

Parida has had a distinguished administrative career, having served in various high-ranking capacities across the country. Prior to this appointment, he was serving as the Insurance Ombudsman in Bhubaneswar since July 2022. He has also served as the Chief Secretary of Puducherry and Adviser to the Administrator of Chandigarh, adding to his extensive experience in governance and policy implementation.

In addition to Parida’s appointment, the Odisha government has also named three new Information Commissioners to the Odisha Information Commission. These include Pranabindu Acharya, a retired IPS officer; Kalpana Pattnaik, a practicing advocate at the Orissa High Court; and Pabitra Mandal, a retired IAS officer. Their inclusion is expected to enhance the efficiency, transparency, and responsiveness of the Commission.

The Odisha State Information Commission was established on March 2, 2006, and is headquartered in Bhubaneswar. It plays a vital role in ensuring transparency and accountability in public administration by facilitating the implementation of the RTI Act, 2005. Citizens across Odisha rely on the Commission to seek access to information from public authorities and to resolve grievances when such access is denied or delayed.