Odisha Human Rights commission was constituted on 27 January 2000 via home department notification No.
However, it became formally operational on 11 July 2003 [1] with the appointment of Justice D. P. Mohapatra, a former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court and former Judge of the Supreme Court of India[2] joined as its first chairperson of the commission via notification No.
Patnaik, a former Chief Secretary to Government of Orissa via notification No.8441 Dt: 24.6.2003.
According to TPHRA, 1993[3] (with amendment act 2006), the commission is entitled to perform any of the following functions: It is clarified that though the Commission has the power to inquire in violation of human rights (or instigation thereof) by a public servant.
Instances where the human rights are violated by any individual citizen then the Commission can intervene, if there is failure or negligence on the part of a public servant to prevent any such violation.