Anand Prakash Prajapat vs Punjab National Bank on 19 July, 2023

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Central Information Commission

Anand Prakash Prajapat vs Punjab National Bank on 19 July, 2023

1. The appellant filed the above mentioned three appeals against the CPIO, Punjab National Bank, Bikaner, with respect to three RTI applications seeking similar information. Further, the information sought in CIC/PNBNK/A/2022/646616 & CIC/PNBNK/A/2022/646217 were identical. All the appeals wereclubbed together for hearing and disposal, to avoid multiplicity of proceedings. 1.1 The issue under consideration arising out of the second appeals dated 25.08.2022, 26.08.2022 & 27.08.2022 include non-receipt of the following information sought by the appellant through the RTI application dated 06.02.2022, 17.03.2022 & 18.06.2022and first appeal dated 14.06.2022, 17.04.2022 & 14.07.2022:-

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File no. CIC/PNBNK/A/2022/646463

(i) बीकानेरशहर म आपक मोडरन मा कट शाखा म जशमान िमनर स pvt ltd*******३५२५ के डायरे टर आनंद काश जापत के ारा दनांक १६.०३.२०२२ को दए गए प (िवषय सी सी िलिमट !र"युल बाबत ) पर या कायवाही क गयी | कस अिधकारी ारा या जवाब दया गया | जो जवाब दया गया उसक ित व जवाब ेिषत करने क िविध का स/पूण िववरण उपल2ध करवाए |

(ii) अगर कोई जवाब नह4 दया गया तो िज/मेदार अिधकारी पर या कायवाही क जानी चािहए इसका पूण िववरण उपल2ध करवाए | File No. CIC/PNBNK/A/2022/646616& CIC/PNBNK/A/2022/646217

(i) बीकानेरशहर म आपक मोडरन मा कट शाखा म जशमान िमनर स pvt ltd के डायरे टर के ारा दनांक 22.04.2021, 29.04.2011, 01.05.2021 व14.02.2022को दए गए प पर या कायवाही क गयी | कस अिधकारी ारा या जवाब दया गया | जो जवाब दया गया उसक ित व जवाब ेिषत करने क िविध का स/पूण िववरण उपल2ध करवाए |

(ii) अगर कोई जवाब नह4 दया गया तो िज/मेदार अिधकारी पर या कायवाही क जानी चािहए इसका पूण िववरण उपल2ध करवाए |

2. Succinctly facts of the case are that the appellant filed applications dated 06.02.2022, 17.03.2022 & 18.06.2022 under the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) before the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), Punjab National Bank, Bikaner, seeking aforesaid information. The CPIO vide letters dated 13.07.2022& 11.07.2022 replied to the appellant. Aggrieved by the same, the appellant filed first appeals dated 14.06.2022, 17.04.2022 & 14.07.2022. The First Appellate Authority(FAA) vide orders dated 04.07.2022, 13.07.2022 & 25.07.2022 disposed of the first appeals. Aggrieved by that, the appellant filed second appeals dated 25.08.2022, 26.08.2022 & 27.08.2022 before the Commission which are under consideration.

3. The appellant has filed the instant appeals dated 25.08.2022, 26.08.2022 & 27.08.2022 inter alia on the grounds that reply given by the CPIO was not satisfactory.

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The appellant requested the Commission to direct the CPIO to provide the complete information and take necessary action as per Section 20 (1) of the RTI Act.

4. The CPIO replied vide letter dated 13.07.2022 and the same is reproduced as under:-

"आप ारा वांिछत सूचना के अंतगत दनांक १६.०३.२०२२ प के स"दभ म जानकारी चाही गयी है, पर"तु आप ारा इन सभी प ; का न तो स"दभ उ लेिखत कया है और न ही ब>क के कस िवभाग एवं अिधकारी को ेिषत कया है अत: जानकारी के अभाव म वांिछत सूचना देने म असमथ है |"

The CPIO replied vide letter dated 13.07.2022 and the same is reproduced as under:-

"आप ारा वांिछत सूचना के अंतगत दनांक22.04.2021, 29.04.2011, 01.05.2021 व14.02.2022 प ; के स"दभ म जानकारी चाही गयी है, पर"तु आप ारा इन सभी प ; का न तो स"दभ उ लेिखत कया है और न ही ब>क के कस िवभाग एवं अिधकारी को ेिषत कया है अत: जानकारी के अभाव म वांिछत सूचना देने म असमथ है |"

The FAA vide order dated 04.07.2022, 13.07.2022 & 25.07.2022directed CPIO Bikaner Mandal to dispose of the RTI within 10 days.

5. The appellant and on behalf of the respondent Shri Girdhari Lal Meena, Chief Manager/CPIO, Punjab National Bank, Bikaner attended the hearing through video conference.

5.1. The appellant inter alia submitted thathe had personally submitted his representation dated 16.03.2022 against proper receipt of the Branch Manager to the respondent bank.However, the respondent had not provided action taken report as on date.

5.2. The respondent while defending their case inter alia submitted that the appellant in his RTI application had not provided details of the letter and in the absence of any specific details, desired information could not be given to the appellant. Besides,the respondent informed that the appellant was NPA borrowers and proper documents were not submitted by him for renewal of his loan therefore his loan was not renewed.

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6. The Commission after adverting to the facts and circumstances of the case, hearing both the parties and perusal of records, observed that in spite of lapse of more than one year the respondent had failed to provide the information to the appellant. The appellant had established that the letters referred in his RTI applications were received by the Branch Manager which were duly signed. The argument of the CPIO was that for want of adequate details they were unable to provide the information. It was not the case that the CPIO had endeavored to seek details or copies of the letters which were handed over by the appellant to the Branch Manager. The replies given by the respondent were evasive, incomplete and bad in the eyes of law. In view of the above, Shri Digvijay Singh, the then CPIO and Shri Girdhari Lal Meena, the present CPIO are show caused as to why maximum penalty under section 20 (1) of the RTI Act may not be imposed upon each of them. The present CPIO is given responsibility to serve a copy of this order as well as show cause notice to the then CPIO and secure his attendance on the next date of hearing and submit their written explanations. All the written explanations (from both the CPIOs) must reach the Commission within four weeks. Meanwhile, the respondent is directed to revisit the RTI application and provide revised point-wise information to the appellant, within three weeks from the date of receipt of this order.

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

Sd/-

(Suresh Chandra) (सुसुरेशचं ा) ा सूचनाआयु ) Information Commissioner (सू दनांक/Date: 18.07.2023 Authenticated true copy R. Sitarama Murthy (आर. सीताराममूत#) Dy. Registrar (उपपंजीयक) 011-26181927(०११-२६१८१९२७) Page 4 of 5 Addresses of the parties:

THE CPIO :

Punjab National Bank Circle Office Bikaner, A-17, KantaKhaturia Colony, Bikaner 334003 (present CPIO is requested to serve the copy Of the order to Shri Digvijay Singh, the then CPIO and Shri Girdhari Lal Meena, the present CPIO and secure written explanations) THE FIRST APPELLATE AUTHORITY Punjab National Bank Circle Office Bikaner, A-17, KantaKhaturia Colony, Bikaner 334003 Shri Girdhari Lal Meena, the present CPIO Punjab National Bank Circle Office Bikaner, A-17, Kanta Khaturia Colony, Bikaner 334003 The CPIO (FOR SERVING TO Shri Digvijay Singh, THE THEN CPIO) Punjab National Bank Circle Office Bikaner, A-17, KantaKhaturia Colony, Bikaner 334003 SH. ANAND PRAKASH PRAJAPAT Page 5 of 5

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