Central Information Commission
.Ratan Lal Sarkar vs State Bank Of India on 4 August, 2010
Central Information Commission
Complaint No.CIC/PB/C/2008/00557SM
Right to Information Act2005Under Section (18)
Dated: 4 August 2010
Name of the Complainant : Shri Ratan Lal Sarkar S/o. Late Shri Haran Chandra Sarkar, 49/H, Ramkrishna Sarani, P.S. Behala, West Bengal, Kolkata.
Name of the Public Authority : CPIO, State Bank of India, Behala Branch, 1168/1, Diamond Harbour Road, Kolkata - 700 034.
The Complainant was not present in spite of notice. On behalf of the Respondent, Shri Vikas Kumar Pal, CPIO was present.
2. In our order dated 3 June 2009, we had directed the CPIO: (a) to provide the desired information, provided the Appellant produced proof of his being the legal heir of the deceased account holder and (b) to explain for not having provided the information in the first place. We took up the case today through videoconferencing. Instead of the Branch Manager concerned, the present Manager appeared in the Kolkata Studio of the NIC. He explained that in compliance of the order of the CIC most of the information had already been provided on 31 July 2009 leaving aside some details about the access to the locker account. It seems, in the meanwhile, having failed to get the complete CIC/PB/C/2008/00557 information from the Branch, the Appellant had approached the Hon'ble High Court Kolkata in a writ petition (WP 18619/2009). The High Court had ordered the Branch to comply with the CIC orders and provide the available information. It was submitted that finally the Branch could locate all the relevant records and provided the remaining information on 2 February 2010.
3. In regard to the delay, he submitted that the Branch had not received any application from the Appellant as per the records maintained in the Branch. In this connection, we would like to direct the Officer who acted as the Branch Manager at the time of the RTIapplication to confirm through a sworn affidavit, both to the Complainant and to this Commission, that indeed neither he nor the Branch had received any RTIapplication within 15 working days from the receipt of this order. We direct the present Branch Manager to forward a copy of our order to the officer concerned within 5 working days of receiving it.
4. The case is closed.
5. Copies of this order be given free of cost to the parties.
(Satyananda Mishra) 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) Assistant Registrar CIC/PB/C/2008/00557