Ramesh Sharma vs Dena Bank on 23 January, 2020

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Central Information Commission

Ramesh Sharma vs Dena Bank on 23 January, 2020

1. The issues under consideration arising out of the second appeal dated 23.02.2018 include non-receipt of the following information raised by the appellant through his RTI application dated 26.05.2017 and first appeal dated 30.08.2017:-

 As per the guidelines of Ministry of urban dev. Feb. 2016 & CPED 1998 (enclosed) please provide information as under:-

(i) Details of Zonal Office/Division offices/Branch office of your department where and lowered service counter and one lowered ATM/Cash disbursement Page 1 of 4 points are provided on the premises for disabled & elderly persons as per CPWD guidelines 1998.

(ii) Details of offices of your department where access to toilets facilities are provided for disabled & elderly persons as per the guideline of ministry of urban dev.

2. Succinctly facts of the case are that the appellant filed an application dated 26.05.2017 under the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) before the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), Dena Bank, Bhopal, seeking aforesaid information. The CPIO replied on 09.08.2017. Dissatisfied with the response of the CPIO, the appellant filed first appeal dated 30.08.2017. The First Appellate Authority disposed of the first appeal vide order dated 06.10.2017. Aggrieved by this, the appellant has filed a second appeal dated 23.02.2018 before this Commission which is under consideration.

3. The appellant filed the instant appeal dated 23.02.2018 inter alia on the grounds that the reply given by the CPIO was unsatisfactory. The appellant has requested the Commission to direct the CPIO to provide the information immediately and take necessary action as per provisions of the RTI Act.

4. The CPIO vide letter dated and 09.08.2017 provided reply that information sought could not be provided under Section 7 (9) of the RTI Act. The FAA vide his order dated 06.10.2017 agreed with the views taken by the CPIO.

5. The appellant and on behalf of the respondent, Shri Ambar Sharma, Legal Officer, Bank of Baroda, Bhopal attended the hearing through video conferene 5.1. The appellant inter alia submitted that complete information had not been provide by the respondent so far even after lapse of more than two years from the date of filing of this RTI application.

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5.2. The respondent while defending their case inter alia submitted that the RTI application was filed before Dena Bank which was not merged with Bank of Baroda on 01.04.2019. They further submitted that Zonal office, Dena Bank, Bhopal where the RTI application was filed, was dismantled due to merger. They stated that since the earlier Bhopal Zonal office was divided into different zones, hence, part of information was available with them. They also expressed their desire to share the information available with them.

6. The Commission after adverting to the facts and circumstances of the case, hearing both the parties and perusal of records, notes that desired information has not been provided by the respondent so far. Further, consequent to the merger of the Dena bank with Bank of Baroda some structural changes had occurred and because of which only part of information was held by the respondent. Hence, the respondent is directed to provide the information available with them free of cost and transfer the application to the concerned CPIO for providing remaining information to the appellant, within two weeks from the date of receipt of this order. With the above directions the appeal is disposed of.

Copy of the decision be provided free of cost to the parties.

Sd/-

(Suresh Chandra) (सुरेश चं ा) Information Commissioner (सूचना आयु ) दनांक/Date: 22.01.2020 Authenticated true copy R. Sitarama Murthy (आर. सीताराम मूत ) Dy. Registrar (उप पंजीयक) 011-26181927(०११-२६१८१९२७) Page 3 of 4 Addresses of the parties:

CPIO :

BANK OF BARODA Regional Office, Ganga Jamuna Complex, M.P. Nagar Zone-1, BHOPAL - 462011 THE F.A.A, BANK OF BARODA Regional Office, Ganga Jamuna Complex, M.P. Nagar Zone-1, BHOPAL - 462011 RAMESH SHARMA Page 4 of 4

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