Central Information Commission
Appeal No. CIC/PB/A/2008/00318-SM dated 26.01.2008
Right to Information Act-2005 - Under Section (19)
Dated 05.01.2009
Appellant: Shri Pankesh Manubhai Patel
Respondent: Bank of Baroda
Appellant is present in person.
On behalf of the Respondent, the following are present.
(i) Sh. A. Unnikrishnan, Deputy Legal Advisor
(ii) Ms S. Anusugaiya, AGM
(iii) Sh. R. R. Joshi, GM, BOB
(iv) Sh. R. V. Mody, DGM, BOB
(v) Sh. N. Venugopal, CM(L), BOB
The brief facts of the case as under:
2. The Appellant had approached the CPIO in his letter dated 26.05.2007
seeking 18 items of information on a variety of matters ranging from the copies of
Minutes of Meetings held between the Management and the Unions to a list of
diversion orders executed by currency chests from one Branch to another. The
CPIO, in his reply dated 25.06.2007, informed him that the information sought
being voluminous, it was being collected from various places and the CPIO would
advise him about the date of inspection shortly. He followed it up with a letter
dated 09.08.2007 in which he provided the response of the Bank on each of the
items of information sought. Not satisfied with the reply given by the CPIO, the
Appellant preferred an appeal before the First Appellate Authority on
27.06.2007. The Appellate Authority decided the appeal in his order dated
26.07.2007 and directed the CPIO concerned to provide him with all the
information except those which were exempt from disclosure under the
provisions of the Right to Information Act. Not satisfied with this order, he has
now approached the Commission in second appeal.
3. After hearing the submissions made by both the sides, we are of the view
that the following information be provided to the Appellant:
(i) Permission to inspect the minute book of the meetings held between
the Zonal Office of the Bank of Baroda, Gujarat Circle and the Unions.
(ii) Copies of the minute book or certain portions of it to be specified by
the Appellant during inspection.
(iii) Permission to inspect the Inward and Outward Register, relevant on
the date of the application, namely, 26.05.2007, kept at the Zonal
Office, Gujarat Circle and Ahmedabad City Region.
(iv) Permission to inspect the Inward and Outward Register maintained in
the computer, if any, for the same offices as above.
(v) The copies of the TA Bill and Bill in which the Per Diem Allowance has
been paid along with Potdar Certificate, if any.
4. With regard to the copy of the provision made for any incentive schemes
not declared in that particular year and is still there, it was pointed out that this
was too vague and unspecific for the Public Authority to make any meaning of it
since the Appellant had not specified the year nor the name of the incentive
scheme about which he was seeking the information. The Appellant was advised
that if he wanted any information in this regard, he should ask for such
information afresh after specifying the names of the particular incentive schemes
which the Public Authority administers and for a specific period.
5. The permission for inspection as directed above be completed on a day
convenient to both the sides within the next 20 working days from the receipt of
this order and, thereafter, if the Appellant specifies any particular record or
document out of those inspected, the copies thereof should be provided within 5
working days from that date.
6. With the above directions, this appeal is dispose off. 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