Central Information Commission
Mr.Ganga Singh Rawat vs Ministry Of Home Affairs on 29 June, 2012
Central Information Commission
Room No. 305, 2nd Floor, 'B' Wing, August Kranti Bhavan,
Bhikaji Cama Place, New Delhi110066
Web: www.cic.gov.in Tel No: 26167931
Case No. CIC/SS/C/2012/000261
Dated: 29.06.2012
Name of Appellant : Shri Ganga Singh Rawat
Name of Respondent : Ministry of Home Affairs
National Crime Records Bureau
Date of Hearing : 13.06.2012
ORDER
Shri Ganga Singh Rawat, hereinafter called the appellant has filed the present complaint dated 30.12.2011 before the Commission against the respondent Ministry of Home Affairs, National Crime Records Bureau, New Delhi for providing incomplete and wrong information on Point No. 2 in reply to his RTI- application dated 9.11.2010. The matter came up for hearing on 13.06.2012. The appellant was present whereas the respondent were represented by Shri N. Sushil Kanan, Joint Assistant Director.
2. The appellant had filed an application dated 9.11.2010 under the provisions of the RTI Act, in which he sought information on two queries pertaining to counterfeit currency notes. The CPIO vide letter No. CRB(109)/ RTI/10/NCRB dated 15.12.2011 informed the appellant that Bureau only maintains the data of Counterfeit currencies received from Reserve Bank of India for fake currencies recovered by banks and also from State Crime Record Bureaus of States and UTs for fake currencies seized by State/UT Police. NCRB has been mandated as the repository of data on Crime and Criminals and NCRB 2 Case No. CIC/SS/C/2012/000261 has no other role in the matters of investigation of FICN. Ministry of Home Affairs has designated CBI as a nodal agency for coordinating efforts to contain FICN circulation. For further queries on counterfeit/fake currencies the appellant was requested to kindly contact CBI for redressal.
3. The only issue before the Commission is whether the appellant has been provided requisite information in reply to Point No. 2 of his RTI application. At Point No. 2, the appellant had sought to know from the respondent whether the Punjab National Bank (PNB) had informed the NCRB, MHA of the instances of counterfeit currency notes detected and impounded from 20.5.2006 to 12.3.2009. The CPIO had vide his letter dated 15.12.2011 replied to the appellant in reply of Point No. 2 of the RTI application that information on counterfeit currencies is received from RBI and that the entries are made in the data base of the Bureau only on the basis of data received from the RBI. During the hearing the appellant submits that as per RBI Circular No. RBI/2005-06/173 dated 30.9.2005 regarding detection and impounding of Counterfeit Currencies, all banks have been directed to submit their report regarding counterfeit currency directly to the MHA on the 7th of the next month. Therefore, in view of this circular, the appellant submits, the respondent have failed to provide him with the information requested in his RTI application at Point No. 2. The respondent on the other hand submit that they have vide their letter dated 19.2.2004, requested the RBI to consolidate all the data pertaining to recovery of counterfeit currency notes received from all the banks and to compile the information and submit to the NCRB directly. The Bureau had also intimated the RBI that they will not entertain the data on forged notes received from any other Bank than RBI. According to the CPIO the practice of receiving consolidated data from RBI is in vogue since 2004, therefore, correct information has been provided by them to the appellant.
4. The entire issue seems to be regarding the system of seeking data by NCRB regarding counterfeit currencies recovered by Banks. According to the 3 Case No. CIC/SS/C/2012/000261 appellant the practice for directly reporting by Banks to the NCRB has been stopped only on 1.7.2011, whereas the information sought is regarding the instances of detection of counterfeit currency during 2006-2009.
5. Having considered the submissions of the parties, the Commission, in the interest of transparency, hereby directs the CPIO to clarify to the appellant about the apparent contradiction in the directions of the RBI and of the NCRB in the matter and also to clarify to him whether intimation regarding detection of counterfeit currencies by the PNB during the period 2006-2009 has been intimated to the NCRB directly. The CPIO will comply with the directions of the Commission within three weeks of receipt of this order.
The matter is disposed of with the above directions.
(Sushma Singh) Information Commissioner Authenticated true copy:
(K.K. Sharma) OSD & Deputy Registrar Address of the parties:
Shri Ganga Singh Rawat, H-78, Budh Vihar, Majhola, Line Par, Moradabad.
Shri Sushil Kannan, Joint Assistant Director & CPIO, National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs, East Block-7, R.K. Puram, New Delhi-110066.