BHUBANESWAR: As many as 417 persons have had their telephones intercepted by the Orissa Government over a two-year period between 2006 and 2008. The Home Department which supplied this information to a RTI applicant maintained that in all cases, its telephone tapping order was approved by the Review Committee headed by the Chief Secretary. Interesting as it may sound, it took almost two years for RTI activist Biswapriya Kanungo to elicit this information on telephone tapping in the State. His attempts with the Home Department, Crime Branch and the Intelligence Wing of State Police had failed before he turned to State Information Commission. The Commission on July 19 directed the Home Department to furnish the number of telephone interceptions made in the State between November 10, 2008 and December 28, 2008. As per the Home Department PIO’s response, telephones of three persons were intercepted in 2006 while next year, the number swelled to 111. In 2008, 303 telephones were tapped. According to the Indian Telegraph Act, Home Department is the competent authority to order telephone tapping which should be done in situations of public emergency and safety. Neither the DGP nor the Commissioner of Police is authorised to intercept telephones. The Home Department also informed that all 417 cases were approved by the Review Committee which comprises Development Commissioner and Law Secretary as members besides the Chief Secretary. Although the law provides that all cases of telephone tapping must be placed before the Review Committee for vetting within seven working days, the Home Department said: “Orders passed by the competent authority for telephone interception are placed before the committee when convened.”