Disclosure of call details of a bank employee - The phone bills are reimbursed subject to a certain limit, irrespective of whether the calls made were personal or official ones.
18 Jul, 2013RTI application
1. The appellant filed an RTI application with the PIO on 6.2.2012 seeking month-wise call details of a certain mobile phone of the General Manager of Head Office of respondent bank from the date of appointment till 31.1.2012. The PIO denied the information on 1.3.2012 stating that no such information is maintained in the bank.
2. Not satisfied with the reply of the PIO, the appellant filed an appeal on 27.3.2012 with the first appellate authority (FAA). The FAA upheld the reply of PIO on 26.4.2012 giving some additional information. The appellant approached the Commission on 12.7.2012 in second appeal.
Hearing
3. The appellant participated in the hearing personally. The respondent participated in the hearing through video conferencing.
4. The appellant referred to his RTI application of 6.2.2012 and stated that he sought a single point information from the bank, but the bank has failed to provide it. The appellant said that he wanted the month-wise call details of the mobile being used by a specifically named officer of the Head Office from the date of his joining the bank till 31.1.2012.
5. The respondent reiterated his reply of 1.3.2012, which was subsequently upheld by the FAA, i.e., that such information is not kept in the bank. The respondent explained that the phone bills of the officers are reimbursed subject to a certain limit as per their entitlement, whether the calls made were personal or official ones. The respondent stated that the order of the FAA has cleared the position.
6. The respondent has acted in conformity with the provisions of the RTI Act.
Decision
7. The decision of the FAA is upheld. The appeal is disposed of. Copy of the decision be given free of cost to both the parties.
(Vijai Sharma)
Information Commission
Citation: Shri Ramesh Ramhat v. Prathama Bank, Moradabad in Appeal No. CIC/VS/A/2012/000917