THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, APRIL 30, 2026

In a major step towards strengthening citizen-centric governance, the Odisha Government is set to launch the Auto Appeal System under the Odisha Right to Public Services Act (ORTPSA) by May 2026. The initiative aims to ensure timely delivery of government services and further reinforce transparency, accountability and efficiency in public administration.

The announcement was made during a review meeting of ORTPSA Nodal Officers from 32 departments, held on April 29 at the Convention Centre, Lok Seva Bhawan, under the chairmanship of Vasisth.

Addressing the gathering, Suresh Kumar Vasisth, Principal Secretary, General Administration and Public Grievance (GA&PG) Department, informed that the Odisha Cabinet has approved the Auto Appeal provision under ORTPSA. The innovative mechanism will automatically escalate service requests to the designated appellate authority if the concerned officer fails to deliver the service within the stipulated timeline, eliminating the need for citizens to file appeals manually.

“The implementation of Auto Appeal marks a new era of accountability in Odisha’s administration. By May 2026, no citizen will be left waiting indefinitely for a service they are legally entitled to receive,” said Vasisth.

A detailed technical presentation was delivered by Pinaki Mohanty, Project Coordinator, ORTPSA, who reviewed the current implementation status across departments and outlined the architecture of the Auto Appeal System. He explained that the system would automatically trigger appeals upon missed deadlines, thereby removing procedural hurdles for citizens.

The new digital framework will also enable real-time tracking of file movements across all 32 departments, significantly enhancing transparency and administrative accountability. By reducing the need for repeated office visits, the system is expected to minimize physical footfall while ensuring seamless, efficient and time-bound service delivery.

Debabrata Mallick, Additional Secretary, GA&PG Department, underscored the importance of the initiative, describing Auto Appeal as the final safeguard of a citizen's right to timely public services. He urged all departments to complete integration of their databases with the central ORTPSA portal well before the May 2026 rollout.

The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks by Mallick, who acknowledged the collective efforts of all departments in positioning Odisha as a frontrunner in digital governance and public accountability. Samarendra Sarangi, OSD, GA&PG Department, coordinated the review meeting.