Information regarding total number of insurance companies, targets fixed for agents was sought - IRDA: Information is available on the website; Minimum business norms for agents were left to the decision of respective insurers - CIC: Queries replied

ORDER

1. The appellant, Shri Gyanesh Kumar Choudhary submitted RTI application dated 30.01.2014 before the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority (IRDA), Hyderabad, seeking information in respect of total number of insurance companies public sector and private sector, targets fixed for agents, such as number of policies, amount of insurance separately for rural and urban areas, etc. through five points.

2. The CPIO (Health), CPIO (Non Life), CPIO (Life) vide letters dated 17.2.2014, 24.02.2014 and 27.02.2014 respectively replied to the appellant on point 1 and 2. In response to point 3 the CPIO vide letter dated 6.3.2014 informed the appellant that IRDA had mandated to prescribe minimum business norms for agents. However exact bench marks in this regard were left to the decision of respective insurers; on point 4 the appellant was informed that no information was available since the same was an internal issue of insurer; and in response to point 5 the appellant was informed that the mater was an internal managerial issue of insurer and as such no information was available with IRDA.. Dissatisfied with the replies of the respective CPIOs, the appellant filed an appeal on 24.3.2014 before the first appellate authority (FAA). The FAA vide order dated 25.04.2014 while upholding the replies of the respective CPIOs on point 1 and 2 held that once any information had been made available by the authority in public domain by way of posting them on its website, there was no mandate upon the CPIO to separately provide a physical copy of the same. As regards information on point 3, 4 and 5, the FAA held that the CPIO vide letter dated 6.3.2014 adequately replied to the appellant.

3. Thereafter the appellant filed the instant appeal before the Commission.

4. The matter was heard by the Commission. The appellant stated that in response to point 1 complete list was not provided and the name of LIC of India was missing in the list; on point 2 the appellant stated that the CPIO had not provided separate list of public sector and private sector insurance companies; and also contended that the reply was not provided in Hindi. The respondents stated that in response to point 1 & 2, the CPIO vide letter dated 27.2.2014 informed the appellant that the information is available on the IRDA’s website www.irda.gov.in consisting of separate list of public sector and private sector insurance companies. The name of the Life Insurance Corporation of India was there against the public sector insurance companies. They further added that the details of the insurers regulated by IRDA as sought by the appellant were sent to the appellant vide letter dated 17.4.2015 in Hindi as requested by him through the registered post.

5. The Commission holds that all the RTI queries had been adequately replied to by the respondents. No intervention on the part of the Commission is called for. The appeal is disposed of.

(Manjula Prasher)

Information Commissioner

Citation: Shri Gyanesh Kumar Choudhary v. Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority in Appeal: No. CIC/MP/A/2014/001353