HC adjourns hearing on PIL over OHRC key vacancies

Cuttack: The Orissa high court on Wednesday adjourned till next week hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging that Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has become virtually non-functional due to key vacancies and absence of an acting chairperson.High court lawyer and human rights activist Prabir Kumar Das filed the PIL on Feb 18, seeking directions to the state govt to immediately authorise the lone existing member of the commission to act as chairperson until a new appointment is made. It also urged the court to direct the govt to fill the vacancies of chairperson and member without delay.The division bench of Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice M S Raman adjourned the hearing on the matter after advocate-general Pitambar Acharya informed the court through video-conferencing that the high-power committee comprising the chief minister, Speaker of Legislative Assembly and leader of the opposition is scheduled to meet on Thursday (March 12) at 6 pm for selection of chairperson and a member of OHRC.

The advocate-general also through additional govt advocate Debashis Tripathy submitted to the court in a sealed cover a ‘confidential’ note. As steps are being taken the petition may be disposed, Acharya also urged. However, the bench said: “Just show us that something has happened, nothing more than that,’ and adjourned hearing on the matter to March 18.According to the petition, the commission is currently functioning with only one member, Chitta Ranjan Mohapatra, after the tenure of chairperson Justice Satrughna Pujahari and member Asim Amitabh Dash ended on Feb 9, 2026.

The petition also pointed to vacancies in key administrative posts within the commission. The secretary of the commission retired on Aug 31, 2023, while the director of investigation retired on May 31, 2024. Both posts remain unfilled, the petition alleged.