Odisha CIC resigns from post for ‘personal reasons’

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Feb 11:

The Odisha Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Tarun Kanti Mishra today resigned from the post citing ‘personal reasons’.

Pic Courtesy: www.telegraphindia.com
Pic Courtesy: www.telegraphindia.com

Mishra’s term as CIC would have come to an end on August 1, 2015 in the normal course.

Talking to Sambad, Mishra said he  would go on a long vacation to USA for some personal reasons. “Since it is not possible to get such a long leave, I decided to resign instead,” he said.

He had met the Governor on January 5 and had handed over the letter of resignation to him since he felt the Governor should be informed well in time about it, he added.

Though Mishra has not spelt out the ‘personal reasons’, informed circles believe they may have to do with his name appearing in a list of undeserving recipients of government land prepared and widely circulated by a group of RTI activists.

It is reliably learnt that Pramod Mohanty, who is Information Commissioner at present, would take over as the makeshoft CIC. The process for appointment to posts set to fall vacant in the near future, including that of the CIC, has already begun, sources said.

Mishra retired as state Chief Secretary before joining the State Information Commission as its chief in 2010. The retired bureaucrat assumed office after the tenure of Dr DN Padhi expired on November 19, 2010.

The 1975 batch IAS officer has worked as Secretary in over 10 Departments including Home, Revenue, Planning & Coordination, Excise, Energy, Commerce & Transport, Women & Child Development, Information & Public Relations, School & Mass Education and Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare.

Mishra is also a writer of distinction. So far, he has published 15 anthologies of short-stories and a novel. His first anthology was published when he was an eighteen-year old undergraduate student. For his contribution to Oriya literature, he received several awards including Odisha Sahitya Academy Award. His writings have been translated into several languages including English, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati and Burmese.

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1 Comment
  1. JAYANTA KUMAR DAS (RTI ACTIVIST) says

    CHIEF INFORMATION COMMISSIONER TARUNAKANTI MISHRA resigned (REMOVED)!!!

    Yesterday (11.02.2015) Chief Information commissioner Sri Tarunakanti Mishra has resigned from his post for his personal reason.

    1.He has given a baseless statement to media, actually he was forced to resigned, and he would have been removed by the government if he would not have resigned.

    2.He has completely ruined the Right to Information Act in Odisha by misusing his power and position as Chief Information Commissioner.

    3.I had registered a written complaint on 05th Oct 2013(see the complaint copy posted bellow) with Honourable governor of Odisha against him Under Section 17 of Right to Information Act 2005 For Not Performing His Duty As Per Odisha Information Commission (Appeal Procedure) Rules, 2006 but there was no suitable action by the governor of Odisha. Many frustrated RTI Activists have also registered complaints against this public servant for running the RTI Act.

    4.He is a government land grabber; he has taken several government lands in Bhubaneswar by giving false affidavit in his wife’s name and in his name when he was the Secretary of GA Department. Complaints were registered against him in Police Stations in Bhubaneswar by some Right activists for his fraudulent act.

    Regards
    JAYANTA KUMAR DAS (RTI ACTIVIST), 9861770749(M)

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