Information regarding profit & loss account of a bank branch was denied information u/s 8(j) - PIO: Information was not available branch wise & consolidated information of the bank was public - CIC: quote the correct provisions on exemptions in future

ORDER

1. The appellant submitted RTI application dated March 03, 2014 before the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), State Bank of Mysore; seeking the information regarding details of the staff and service to the customers, citizens’ charter and profit & loss account(20132014) of the SBM Gandhinagar etc.; through a total of 3 points.

2. Vide letter dated April 09, 2014; the CPIO furnished a point wise reply to the appellant in which he had denied information sought in point 3 pertaining to financial account of SBM Gandhinagar u/s 8(j) of the RTI Act, 2005. Not satisfied with the reply given by the CPIO concerned, the appellant preferred an appeal dated April 21, 2014 to the first appellate authority (FAA). No order had been passed by the FAA in this case.

3. Dissatisfied with the response of the public authority, the appellant preferred the present appeal before the Commission.

4. The matter was heard by the Commission. The appellant was not present during the hearing in spite of a notice for hearing having been sent to him. The respondents that they had denied the information sought in point no. 3 pertaining to the financial account, profit and loss accounts of the SBM Gandhinagar for the year March 2013 to February 2014 as this information was not available branch wise and consolidated information in this regard of the whole bank was available in public domain.

5. While upholding the decision of the respondents, the Commission advises the respondents to quote the correct provisions on exemptions contained in the RTI Act, 2005 in future. The appeal is disposed of.

(Manjula Prasher)

Information Commissioner

Citation: Shri P Prakash Chowdary v. State Bank of Mysore in Appeal No. CIC/MP/A/2014/001505