Orissa High Court Directs State to Fill Vacant Posts in OHRC

Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court has directed the state government to fill the vacant posts in the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC), taking note of concerns raised by rights activists over the body’s limited functioning.

Reports indicate that the commission is currently functioning with only one member, Chitta Ranjan Mohapatra. The posts of chairperson and another member have remained vacant since February 9, following the completion of the tenure of former chairperson Justice Satrughana Pujahari and member Asim Amitabh Dash.

A petition filed before the High Court pointed out that the absence of key appointments has effectively left the commission without its leadership, affecting its ability to function smoothly. The petition also highlighted that a large number of cases are pending before the commission, making it essential to fill the vacancies at the earliest.

Hearing the matter, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice M. S. Raman directed the state government to take necessary steps to fill the vacant positions in the commission.

The court has scheduled the next hearing of the matter on March 18.