Details of officers who were transferred from Chandigarh to Ropar/ Rajpura & subsequently posted back to Chandigarh after completion of their tenure was sought - PIO: no ready recknor available to provide such information - CIC: appeal dismissed

Name, designation & present place of posting of officers who were transferred from Chandigarh to Ropar/ Rajpura & were subsequently posted back to Chandigarh after completion of their tenure at Ropar/ Rajpura etc., was sought - PIO: there are 1200 officers in Chandigarh Circle & no ready recknor available to provide such information; preparation of such data would disproportionately divert the resources of the bank - CIC: appeal dismissed

Facts:

1. The appellant, Shri Anirudh Dhanda, submitted RTI application dated 20 May, 2011 before the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), Sate Bank of India, Chandigarh; seeking information regarding the names and designations and present place of posting of officers who were transferred from Chandigarh to Ropar/ Rajpura on or after 1.9.2001 and were subsequently posted back to Chandigarh after completion of their tenure at Ropar/ Rajpura etc., through a total of 2 points.

2. Vide reply dated 20 July 2011, CPIO denied the information sought on the ground that the manner in which the information had been sought was not readily available and preparation of such data/information would disproportionately divert the resources of the bank and, therefore, denied the information u/s 7(9) An information shall ordinarily be provided in the form in which it is sought unless it would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority or would be detrimental to the safety or preservation of the record in question. of the RTI Act, 2005. Not satisfied with the CPIO’s reply, the appellant preferred appeal dated 4 August 2011 to the first appellate authority (FAA). Vide order dated 3 September 2011, FAA upheld the CPIO’s decision.

3. Not satisfied with the response of the public authority, the appellant preferred second appeal before the Commission saying that he had not been furnished correct information by the CPIO concerned by applying incorrect provision of RTI Act.

4. The matter was heard today via videoconferencing. The appellant, Shri Anirudh Dhanda, did not attend the hearing. The respondent, the State Bank of India, was represented by Shri Hans Raj Sharma, AGM/CPIO and Shri Rajesh Malik, Manager (Law).

5. The CPIO informed that he had telephoned the appellant regarding the hearing but the appellant has not come for the hearing. He submitted that the appellant had filed two similar applications dated May 20, 2011 and he had sought information regarding names and designations of officers transferred from Chandigarh to Ropar and brought back on completion of their tenure at Ropar. Similarly, about the officers transferred from Chandigarh to Rajpura and brought back to Chandigarh on completion of their tenure from 2001 till the date of his RTI application.

6. The respondent submitted that they have about 1200 officers in Chandigarh Circle and they do not have a ready recknor to be able to provide such information. Any attempt on collecting the information would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority. They also added that transfer bulletin is placed in public domain which information is available for everyone to see.

Decision Notice

 7. The Commission accepts the submissions of the public authority and dismisses the appeal.

(Manjula Prasher)

Information Commissioner

Citation: Shri Anirudh Dhanda v, Sate Bank of India in Appeal: No. CIC/DS/A/2011/003978/MP