Information regarding mediclaim policies & amount paid was denied stating that it has to be collected from more than 1000 offices spread all over India – CIC: disclosure would divert the resources of the public authority, appeal dismissed
2 Mar, 2014ORDER
Facts:
1. The appellant Shri Hemant C Patel has submitted RTI application dated Nil before the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), National Insurance Co. Ltd, Kolkata; seeking information relating to the total no. of mediclaim policy/ total premium amount collected/ total no. of claims settled/ total amount paid for claims/ profit or loss/ total no. of claims under Rs.30000/and total amount paid for claim under Rs.30,000/through total of 07 points.
2. Vide CPIO order dated 09 November 2012, CPIO furnished part information and denied rest on the ground that the same is not available. Information was furnished within prescribed period of time. Not satisfied by the CPIO’s reply, the appellant preferred appeal to the First Appellate Authority (FAA) dated 24 November 2012. Vide FAA order dated 03 December 2012, the FAA upheld the decision of the CPIO and also informed that the figures where information was denied are not readily available and that they will have to collect them from more than 1000 offices spread all over India, which will disproportionately divert the public resources and is not advisable under Section 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 RTI Act, 2005. The FAA passed the order in 09 days after submission of first appeal.
3. Being aggrieved and not satisfied by the above response of the public authority, the appellant preferred second appeal before the Commission.
4. The matter was heard today via videoconferencing. The appellant Shri H. C. Patel was not present at the hearing. The respondents Shri A Das, FAA, Shri A. Bhattacharya, CPIO and Dr. Patnaik, Chief Manager (Health Insurance Department) and Custodian CPIO were present at the hearing and made submissions from Kolkata.
5. The Custodian CPIO submitted that the information sought regarding the number of claims under Rs. 30, 000/and amount paid for the claims under Rs. 30, 000/is voluminous in nature as the same pertains to about 152 districts and a large number branches offices of the public authority (more than 1000 offices) and would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority in collecting the information from these offices.
Decision Notice
6. The Commission upholds the CPIOs order as the disclosure of information would certainly divert the resources of the public authority in collecting the information from multiple offices under Section 7 (9) of the RTI Act.
7. Hence the present appeal is dismissed. The case is closed.
(Manjula Prasher)
Information Commissioner
Citation: Shri Hemant C Patel v. National Insurance Co. Ltd. in Appeal: No. CIC/DS/A/2013/000045/MP