Central Information Commission, New Delhi
File No.CIC/SM/A/2010/901224, 901267, 901268,
CIC/SM/A/2011/900938 & 901395
Right to Information Act2005Under Section (19)
Date of hearing : 8 November 2011
Date of decision : 8 November 2011
Name of the Appellant : Shri MJS Murthy
Senior Manager (Tech), Union Bank of
India, Central Office, MSME Department,
4th Floor, Union Bank Bhawan Marg,
Nariman Point, Mumbai.
Name of the Public Authority : CPIO, Union Bank of India,
O/o. the Central Public Information
Officer, Union Bank Bhawan, 14th Floor,
239, Vidhan Bhawan Marg, Nariman
Point, Mumbai - 400 021.
CPIO, Union Bank of India,
O/o. the Central Public Information
Officer, Regional Office, 2nd Floor,
Prestige Towers, Panjagutta Road, Opp.
NIIMS, Above CROMA, Hyderabad - 500
082.
On behalf of the Respondent, the following were present:
(i) Shri A.K. Gupta, Deputy General Manager, Hyderabad,
(ii) Shri P.R. Rajagopal, CPIO,
(iii) Shri K C Choudhary, Chief Manager
Chief Information Commissioner : Shri Satyananda Mishra
CIC/SM/A/2010/901224, 901267, 901268, CIC/SM/A/2011/900938 & 901395
2. In our order dated 27 September 2011, we had directed the CPIO to
report to us if our direction regarding the disclosure under section 4(1) (b) had
been carried out by the bank.
3. Today, the Respondent, appearing on behalf of the bank, submitted,
both in writing and orally, that the bank had already made the necessary
disclosures and that they had further improved upon the information already
placed in the public domain. We carefully examined the broader details of
disclosures reported by the Respondent and noted that it needed much more
improvement and refinement to bring it in conformity with the provisions of this
section.
4. Even if it is admitted that not all the 16 items of information listed in this
section would be relevant to the public authority like a bank, all those items
which are relevant must be disclosed exhaustively and comprehensively
leaving out nothing. Besides, the disclosure should be in such a manner that
ordinary information seekers can access the information easily and make a
sense of it. Thus, wherever possible, the information should be presented in a
tabular format with clear links leading to the relevant documents. For example,
against the very first item of the subsection 1(b) of Section 4, what must be
disclosed is the complete details of the delegation of powers at all levels in the
bank, both financial and administrative, including the relevant
orders/resolutions/board decisions by which such delegations had been made,
from time to time. Beginning from the Board of Directors and the CMD to the
lowest possible authority to whom powers of any kind have been delegated or
any duty assigned, all that must be listed comprehensively against each such
authority/officer/employee.
CIC/SM/A/2010/901224, 901267, 901268, CIC/SM/A/2011/900938 & 901395
5. Similarly, in regard to the statement of the categories of documents held
by the bank (subsection vi), a complete listing of all the varieties of documents
held and maintained at various levels of the bankauthorities/officer wise should
be given so that the information seeker has no doubt about the kind of the
document/information he should demand from the bank.
6. In other words, the scope of disclosure against each of these items
should be clearly analysed and appreciated before embarking on the actual act
of disclosure. The guiding principle has to be maximum disclosure. Except for
the information which is otherwise exempt, nothing should be held back. For a
bank as competent as the Union Bank of India, its 4(1) (b) disclosure should be
a model for others. We hope that the bank would revisit the disclosures already
made and improve it to make it not only very comprehensive but also upto
date. We direct that this exercise be completed before 31 March 2012 and the
compliance reported by the CPIO of the Corporate Office of the bank in person
on 5 April 2012 positively.
7. The case is disposed of accordingly.
8. Copies of this order be given free of cost to the parties.
(Satyananda Mishra)
Chief 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.
CIC/SM/A/2010/901224, 901267, 901268, CIC/SM/A/2011/900938 & 901395
(Vijay Bhalla)
Deputy Registrar
CIC/SM/A/2010/901224, 901267, 901268, CIC/SM/A/2011/900938 & 901395