Central Information Commission
File No.CIC/SM/A/2009/001177 dated 20062008
Right to Information Act2005Under Section (19)
Dated: 14 May 2010
Name of the Appellant : Shri Rajiv Mohan
13/463, Dubey Ka Parao,
Aligarh.
Name of the Public Authority : CPIO, Canara Bank,
R & F Section,
Niranajan Priyadhan,
Centre Point, Aligarh.
The Appellant was not present in spite of notice.
On behalf of the Respondent, the following were present:
(i) Shri Saxsena,
(ii) Shri R.P. Goel
2. In this case, the Appellant had, in his application dated 20 July 2008,
requested the CPIO for a number of information about the disbursement of a
loan sanctioned to M/s RK Industries. In his belated reply dated 19 September
2008, the CPIO declined to offer any information against most of the queries by
claiming that those did not amount to information at all. In the meanwhile, on
not receiving any reply from the CPIO within the stipulated period, the Appellant
had preferred an appeal on 3 September 2008. It is not clear if the Appellate
Authority had passed any order on the appeals. Now, the Appellant has come
before the CIC in second appeal.
3. We heard this case through videoconferencing. The Appellant was not
CIC/SM/A/2009/001177
present in spite of notice. Respondents were present in the Aligarh studio of the
NIC. We heard their submissions. We do not agree with the CPIO that the
queries of the Appellant did not amount to information within the meaning of
Section 2(f) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Clearly, for each of these
queries, it should be possible to find the relevant record/circular/guidelines etc
and the CPIO can easily provide copies of those. Therefore, we direct the CPIO
to provide to the Appellant within 10 working days from the receipt of this order
the desired information against all the queries of the Appellant including
photocopies of the relevant records/circular is/guidelines. If, in case, there is no
record or circular or guideline in regard to any of the queries, the CPIO shall
state so clearly in his reply.
4. We also notice that the CPIO responded nearly one month beyond the
stipulated period. He has to explain the reasons for such delay. If he cannot
offer any satisfactory reason for the delay, we will consider imposing penalty on
him in terms of Section 20(1) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Before
deciding on the penalty, we would like him to appear on 22 June 2010 at 12.15
PM before us and explain in person if he had any reasonable cause for the
delay.
5. With the above directions, the appeal is disposed off.
6. Copies of this order be given free of cost to the parties.
(Satyananda Mishra)
Information Commissioner
CIC/SM/A/2009/001177
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.
(Vijay Bhalla)
Assistant Registrar
CIC/SM/A/2009/001177