CIC: A member of the Cooperative Society is in no different position than a shareholder of a company; it does not give the right to a person to access information about the management’s operations like opening and maintaining Bank accounts
8 Nov, 2014Facts
This matter pertains to an RTI application dated 14.6.2013 filed by the Appellant, seeking information regarding the account of ‘Agrawal Samaj’. The CPIO responded on 12.7.2013 and denied the information in terms of section 8 (1) (d) of the RTI Act. Not satisfied with the reply of the CPIO, the Appellant filed an appeal to the First Appellate Authority on 22.7.2013. Not having heard from the FAA, the Appellant filed second appeal to the CIC on 22.9.2013 which was received by the Commission on 3.10.2013.
2. We heard the submissions of the Appellant and the Respondents. The Appellant submitted that he belongs to Agrawal Community and had sought information from the Respondent Bank in regard to bank account in the name of ‘Agrawal Samaj’. In response to our query, he also submitted that he is neither an office bearer of the Samaj, nor an authorized signatory of the account of ‘Agrawal Samaj.’ The Respondents submitted that as the information sought relates to the account of a third party, they have denied the same under Section 8 (1) (d) of the RTI Act.
3. In the above context, we note that the Commission in its order dated 22.11.2010 (File No. CIC/SM/A/2010/000462/AT) has observed “A member of the Cooperative Society is in no different position than a shareholder of a company. Neither the membership in the Cooperative Society nor the shareholding in the company gives to a person the right to access information about the management’s operations, especially when this operation relates to opening and maintaining Bank accounts.”
4. In view of the foregoing, we see no ground to interfere with the decision of the Respondents to deny information in this case.
5. With the above observations, the appeal is disposed of.
6. Copies of this order be given free of cost to the parties.
(Sharat Sabharwal)
Information Commissioner
Citation: Shri Subodh Agarwal v. Allahabad U P Gramin Bank in File No. CIC/VS/A/2013/001811/SH