Central Information Commission
Appeal No.CIC/PB/A/2008/00492-SM dated 08.07.2008
Right to Information Act-2005-Under Section (19)
Dated 23.01.2009
Appellant: Shri R. D. Aggarwal
Respondent: State Bank of India, Bhopal
The Appellant was present in person.
On behalf of the Respondent, Shri G. P. Mahandan, RTI Zonal Officer was
present
The brief facts of the case are as under.
2. The Appellant, in his letter dated 1 January 2008, requested the CPIO for
information in respect of Shri G. S. Mittal, a retired Deputy Manager of the State
Bank of India. The CPIO, in his reply dated 12 January 2008, denied to provide it
on the ground that it was personal information about another individual and,
therefore, such information was exempt under Section 8(1)(j) of the Right to
Information Act. Not satisfied with this reply, the Appellant filed an appeal before
the first Appellate Authority on 30 January 2008. The first Appellate Authority
decided his appeal on 11 February 2008 and endorsed the decision of the CPIO.
The Appellant has now approached the Commission in second appeal.
3. The case was heard through videoconferencing. We considered the
submissions made by both the sides. We carefully examined the documents
furnished by both the Appellant and the Respondent. We are of the view that
both the CPIO and the Appellate Authority were not entirely right in denying the
information as personal information and claiming exemption under Section
8(1)(j) of the Right to Information Act. The posting details of an officer of the
Bank cannot be personal information. Similarly, the amount of reimbursement
made to such an officer for the medical expenses of himself and his dependent
family members cannot also be termed as personal information. Surely, the
details such as the prescriptions given by the doctor while treating the daughter
of the said officer of the Bank would fall in the category of personal information
of a third party without any ostensible relationship to any public interest or
public activity. But, the information about the total amount of money spent on
medical reimbursement without any specific detail with regard to the ailment or
the medicines cannot be described as personal information. In view of this, we
direct the CPIO to provide the details of the postings of Shri Mittal during his
entire career till the date of his retirement and the total amount of
reimbursement of medical expenses made to him since 1 December 1984 till his
retirement from service, if available, within 15 working days from the receipt of
this order.
4. With the above direction, we dispose off this appeal. Copies of this order
be given free of cost to the parties.
Sd/-
(Satyananda Mishra)
Information Commissioner
Authenticated true copy. Additional copies of orders shall be supplied
against application and payment of the charges prescribed under the Act to the
CPIO of this Commission.
Sd/-
(Vijay Bhalla)
Assistant Registrar