CIC dismisses RTI appeal for disclosure of reports by SBI on poll bonds

There appears to be ‘no public interest’ in further prolonging the matter: Information Commissioner

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has dismissed an appeal seeking disclosure of reports submitted by the State Bank of India to the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India regarding sale and encashment of electoral bonds in 2018 which are withheld by the SBI on grounds of personal information held in fiduciary capacity.

Nearly three years after an appeal was filed with the CIC, the highest adjudicator of RTI matters, Information Commissioner Suresh Chandra noted that there appears to be “no public interest” in further prolonging the matter as there is no substance in the appeal calling for intervention by the Commission. “The Commission after adverting to the facts and circumstances of the case, hearing both the parties and perusal of records, feels that due information has been given to the appellant,” he said.

The case pertains to an RTI application filed by activist Venkatesh Nayak seeking denomination wise details of electoral bonds sold by the SBI in March and April 2018, total number of buyers, application forms submitted for buying the bonds, reports submitted by the SBI to the RBI and the Government on sale and encashment of bonds, in his eight pointer application. The SBI provided the data on electoral bonds sale through various branches, but did not give details on application forms submitted for purchase of the bonds and the reports submitted by the bank to the RBI and the Government, citing two exemption clauses — information being held in fiduciary capacity and information being personal in nature — to deny the information. Mr. Nayak approached the CIC in 2018 with his appeal against the SBI’s denial of information.