Central Information Commission
Shri. Kultar Singh vs Punjab National Bank on 17 January, 2012
Central Information Commission, New Delhi
File No.CIC/SM/A/2011/000440
Right to Information Act2005Under Section (19)
Date of hearing : 17 January 2012
Date of decision : 17 January 2012
Name of the Appellant : Shri Kultar Singh
R/o. BVI430, Street 2,
Sunder Nagri, Abohar,
Distt - Fazika - 152 116.
Punjab.
Name of the Public Authority : CPIO, Punjab National Bank,
Inspection & Audit Department,
Circle Office, Bathinda.
The Appellant was not present in spite of notice.
On behalf of the Respondent, the following were present:
(i) Shri M.L. Nagori, CPIO,
(ii) Shri Balraj Sharma, Manager
Chief Information Commissioner : Shri Satyananda Mishra
2. The Appellant did not turn up in the Ferozepur studio of the NIC, in spite of notice. The Respondents were present in our chamber and made their submissions.
3. The Appellant had raised a number of queries regarding the destruction of various records relating to his own service matters including records relating CIC/SM/A/2011/000440 to his leave, attendance, disciplinary proceedings, suspension and termination from service etc. The CPIO had informed him that various such records had been destroyed from time to time in terms of the retention schedule followed by the bank and that no further details, as desired by the Appellant, were any longer available. The first Appellate Authority had endorsed the decision of the CPIO.
4. During the hearing, the Respondents submitted that the Appellant was an employee of the New Bank of India which had been amalgamated in the Punjab National Bank in 1993 and that all records relating to this particular employee, as listed by him, had been destroyed at different times. They also informed that whatever details were available about the destruction had already been communicated to the Appellant and the bank did not have any more details to be disclosed. They admitted that the bank had a register in which the destruction of records, from time to time, was duly recorded but it did not record the subject matter of the destroyed records in sufficient detail. Therefore, according to them, the kind of information which the Appellant had sought could not be elicited from the available records.
5. In view of the above submissions, it appears that the bank is not in a position to provide any further information in this regard. However, it would be appropriate if the CPIO could invite the Appellant to the branch concerned and show him whatever register or other records they may have regarding the destruction of old records relating to the Appellant and explain to him the status of all such records. Therefore, we direct the CPIO to invite the Appellant on any mutually convenient date within 15 working days of receiving this order and to show him whatever records are available in respect of the queries made by him CIC/SM/A/2011/000440 and also to explain to him the procedure followed by the bank for destroying old records.
6. The appeal is disposed off accordingly.
7. Copies of this order be given free of cost to the parties.
(Satyananda Mishra) Chief Information Commissioner Authenticated true copy. Additional copies of orders shall be supplied against application and payment of the charges prescribed under the Act to the CPIO of this Commission.
(Vijay Bhalla) Deputy Registrar CIC/SM/A/2011/000440