Central Information Commission
Aakash Goel vs Union Bank Of India on 4 September, 2025
के ीय सूचना आयोग
Central Information Commission
बाबा गं गनाथ माग,मुिनरका
Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka
नई िद ी, New Delhi - 110067
ि तीय अपील सं ा / Second Appeal No. CIC/UBIND/A/2024/653896 +
CIC/UBIND/A/2024/641633 +
CIC/UBIND/A/2024/637045
Aakash Goel ... अपीलकता/Appellant
VERSUS
बनाम
CPIO: Union Bank of India,
Mumbai ... ितवादीगण/Respondent
Relevant dates emerging from the appeal(s):
Sl. No. Second Date of Date of Date of Date of Date of
Appeal RTI CPIO's First FAA's Second
No. Application Reply Appeal Order Appeal
1. 653896 11.10.2024 16.11.2024 17.11.2024 03.12.2024 Nil.
2. 641633 05.08.2024 04.09.2024 04.09.2024 17.09.2024 Nil.
3. 637045 03.06.2024 03.07.2024 05.07.2024 18.08.2024 Nil.
The instant set of appeals have been clubbed for decision as these relate to similar
RTI Applications and same subject matter.
Date of Hearing: 02.09.2025
Date of Decision: 03.09.2025
CORAM:
Hon'ble Commissioner
_ANANDI RAMALINGAM
ORDER
Second Appeal No. CIC/UBIND/A/2024/653896 Page 1 of 7
1. The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 11.10.2024 seeking information on the following points:
DOFSR/R/E/24/01225 dated 01-Oct-2024 was wrongly transferred to RBI. It needs to be answered either by Dept of Financial Services or PSU Banks. Finance Minister of Govt of India repeatedly exhorted Banks and Other Financial Intermediaries in India to ensure customers with individual / joint accounts nominate at least a beneficiary to minimize unclaimed funds. Finance Minister directed the above multiple times during 2023, circulated to public vide PIB releases in March and September.
Only SEBI has been regularly publishing data and exhorting citizens holding demat accounts and mutual funds to do it and also invited public comments for framing law to ensure automatic processing to nominees in event of death reporting. Nothing as such has been heard from RBI. Banks manage 4 kind of Small Savings - (i) PPF (Public Provident Fund), (ii) SCSS (Senior Citizen Savings Scheme), (iii) SSY (Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana), (iv) KVP (Kisan Vikas Patra). Please tell
a) Number of accounts of each of the above 4 Small Savings which are inoperative as on 31-Mar-24.
b) Out of above, number of accounts which are classified as unclaimed deposit as on 31-Mar-24.
c) Total balance of accounts of each of the above 4 Small Savings which are inoperative as on 31-Mar-24.
d) Out of above, total balance of accounts which are classified as unclaimed deposit as on 31-Mar-24.
e) Number of accounts of each of the above 4 Small Savings without nomination as on 31-Mar-24. ..., etc./ other related information Page 2 of 7 1.1. The CPIO replied vide letter dated 16.11.2024 and the same is reproduced as under :-
"The information sought by you is not available in the form you have sought and collection & collation of such information would disproportionately divert the resources of the Bank. Hence in terms of Sec 7(9) of the RTI Act, we would like to inform you that information regarding total deposits is available on Bank's official website, www.unionbankofindia.co.in under the head Home > Investor relations>Annual Reports."
1.2. Dissatisfied with the response received from the CPIO, the Appellant filed a First Appeal dated 17.11.2024 alleging that the information provided was incomplete, false and misleading. The FAA vide order dated 03.12.2024 upheld the reply given by the CPIO.
1.3. Aggrieved with the FAA's order, the Appellant approached the Commission with the instant Second Appeal dated Nil.
Second Appeal No. CIC/UBIND/A/2024/641633
2. The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 05.08.2024 seeking information on the following points:
Please tell wrt PSU Banks reporting to Dept of Financial Services. Finance Minister of Govt of India repeatedly exhorted Banks and Other Financial Intermediaries in India to ensure customers with individual / joint accounts nominate at least a beneficiary to minimize unclaimed funds. Finance Minister directed the above multiple times during 2023, circulated to public vide PIB releases in March and September.
Only SEBI has been regularly publishing data and exhorting citizens holding demat accounts and mutual funds to do it and also invited public comments for framing law to ensure automatic processing to nominees in event of death reporting. Nothing as such has been heard from RBI.Page 3 of 7
Please tell for each PSU Bank, as on 31-Mar-2024 i.e. end of FY23-24-
a) Number of savings account (singly held or jointly held) without nomination.
b) Total balance across accounts as mentioned in point a.
c) Number of dormant accounts out of accounts as mentioned in point a.
d) Total balance across accounts as mentioned in point c.
e) Number of current account (singly held or jointly held or in name of proprietorship) without nomination. ..., etc./ other related information 2.1. The CPIO replied vide letter dated 04.09.2024 and the same is reproduced as under :-
"The information sought by you is not available in the form you have sought and collection & collation of such information would disproportionately divert the resources of the Bank: Hence in terms of Sec 7(9) of the RTI Act, we would like to inform you that information regarding total deposits is on Bank's official website, available www.unionbankofindia.co.in under the head Home > Investor relations > Annual Reports.
Moreover, Bank has developed the functionality to activate dormant account from any of the Union Bank of India branches, by obtaining KYC documents."
2.2. Dissatisfied with the response received from the CPIO, the Appellant filed a First Appeal dated 04.09.2024 alleging that the information provided was incomplete, false and misleading. The FAA vide order dated 17.09.2024 upheld the reply given by the CPIO.
2.3. Aggrieved with the FAA's order, the Appellant approached the Commission with the instant Second Appeal dated Nil.
Second Appeal No. CIC/UBIND/A/2024/637045
3. The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 03.06.2024 seeking information on the following points:
Page 4 of 7 DOFSR/R/E/24/00453 dated 15-Apr-2024 was wrongly transferred to RBI. It needs to be answered either by Dept of Financial Services or PSU Banks. More than 11 Cr PAN cards were deactivated wef 30-06-23 by a CBDT viz a body under finance ministry. Please tell wrt PSU Banks reporting to Dept of Financial Services (DFS, incidentally another body under finance ministry)-
a) Number of bank accounts which are seeded with deactivated PAN card as on 31- Mar-24.
b) Total balance of bank accounts which are seeded with deactivated PAN card as on 31-Mar-24.
3.1. The CPIO replied vide letter dated 03.07.2024 and the same is reproduced as under :-
"The information sought by you is not available in the form you have sought and collection & collation of such information would disproportionately divert the resources of the Bank. Hence in terms of Sec 7(9) of the RTI Act, we are unable to process your request."
3.2. Dissatisfied with the response received from the CPIO, the Appellant filed a First Appeal dated 05.07.2024 alleging that the information provided was incomplete, false and misleading. The FAA vide order dated 18.08.2024 upheld the reply given by the CPIO.
3.3. Aggrieved with the FAA's order, the Appellant approached the Commission with the instant Second Appeal dated Nil.
4. The appellant remained absent during the hearing despite notice and on behalf of the respondent Mr. Jagdeesh, CPIO, attended the hearing through Audio conferencing.
5. The respondent while defending their case inter alia submitted that responses to the RTI applications had been furnished to the appellant vide their letters dated 16.11.2024, 04.09.2024 and 03.07.2024 wherein, it was stated that information sought Page 5 of 7 was not readily available with them, hence, they claimed exemption u/s 7 (9) of the RTI Act.
6. The Commission after adverting to the facts and circumstances of the case, hearing the respondent and perusal of records, observes that the replies furnished by the CPIOs vide letters dated 16.11.2024, 04.09.2024 and 03.07.2024 in all three matters cannot be called in question as appropriate replies, as per provision of the RTI Act, have been provided to the appellant. Moreover, the Commission notes that the same facts and circumstances have been already decided with respect to another RTI applications of the same appellant filed with Indian Bank, Punjab & Sindh Bank, Panjab National bank, Canara Bank, Bank of India & Bank of Baroda, which have been already heard and decided vide file nos. CIC/IBANK/A/2024/654173+2, CIC/PASBK/A/2024/646465+2, CIC/PNBK/A/2024/653171+2,CIC/CANBK/A2024/654796+2,CIC/BKOIN/A/2024/643 025 & CIC/BKOBD/A/2024/647289 dated 29.08.2025, 21.08.2025, 19.08.2028, 29.07.2025 and 25.07.2025, respectively. In view of the above, the Commission finds no scope of intervention in the matters. Accordingly, the appeals are dismissed.
Copy of the decision be provided free of cost to the parties.
Sd/-
(Anandi Ramalingam) (आनंदी रामिलंगम) Information Commissioner (सूचना आयु ) िदनांक/Date: 03.09.2025 Authenticated true copy O. P. Pokhriyal (ओ. पी. पोख रयाल) Dy. Registrar (उप पंजीयक) 011-26180514 Page 6 of 7 Addresses of the parties:
1. The CPIO Union Bank of India, Central Office, Union Bank Bhavan, Legal Services Department, 11th Floor, 239, Vidhan Bhavan Marg, Nariman Point, Mumbai -
400021 2 Aakash Goel Page 7 of 7 Recomendation(s) to PA under section 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005:-
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