Looks like the reasons for the disastrous implementation of demonetisation by the present government that affects each and every citizen of this country, will remain a dirty secret. The Reserve Bank of India, violating the basic norms of the Right to Information (RTI) Act is against supply of any information, even if it comes under the Section 4 of the RTI Act.
If you go to most of the websites of public authorities, you will find suo motu disclosures under Section 4 of the RTI Act, hardly being adhered too. This, despite, repeated directives from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), over the last few years. The Reserve Bank of India, has audaciously declared on its website, that it cannot disclose most of its information, even that which comes under Section 4, explaining that, “being the Central Bank of the country, in its role as banker to the Government and banker to the banks, the RBI receives and holds a lot of sensitive information, the disclosure of which may not, at all times, be in the interest of the nation or serve public interest.’’
Giving a list of 26 areas where it cannot provide information, the preamble in the link,
https://rbi.org.in/Scripts/bs_viewcontent.aspx?Id=2347, states, “A list of such information which cannot be disclosed either wholly or partially is furnished…While compiling the list, it has been the Bank's endeavour to attain the objectives of the RTI Act, without jeopardizing the financial stability and economic interests of the State. It may also be noted that the list is only indicative and not exhaustive and is subject to review / revision. Each application received under the Act would be examined in the light of the provisions of the Act and any decision with respect to non-disclosure by the Bank will be supported by the relevant exemption provisions…”
The fact is, that even that information which is not in any way sensitive nor would it “jeopardize the financial interest of the State” and which in fact, is mandatory for public disclosure under Section 4 of the RTI Act has been put under arrest of Section 8 of the RTI Act by the supercilious Reserve Bank. A few examples being:
- Transfer Request letters / representations / records and connected notings and correspondence received from officers
- List of employees of doubtful integrity
- Vigilance Audit Report
- Property statement and particulars of properties of employees
- Information regarding merger/ amalgamation proposal of banks.
- Information about annual branch expansion plan of banks during the currency of plan
- Correspondence with Government relating to proposed amendments to various Acts
- Information relating to appointment of directors on the boards of banks/ financial institutions, if it involves third party personal information
- Details of Superannuation benefits like Provident Fund, Gratuity, Encashment of leave, commuted value of pension paid to individuals (except to legal heirs in case of death). Also, information on compassionate package paid on behalf of individuals.
The 26 areas include even those ‘general’ areas where information comes under RT Act. For example, the Human Resources Management Department; Department of Banking Regulation and Department of Banking Supervision.
The RBI arrogantly declares ‘Department of Communication’ (which dishes out press releases) and selectively excludes journalists from briefings, as the only area where information comes in a totally transparent manner. It states here: “The role of Department of Communication (DoC) is to disseminate information meant for markets, banks and public in general. It receives information from Departments that is meant for dissemination. As such, in principle, DoC does not have any information that cannot be disclosed under the RTI Act.’’
This has prompted RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar and this author to file a complaint with the Central Information Commission (CIC). Kumbhar says, “Banks deal with public funds even if they are private ones. Reserve Bank of India is at the head of them all and it is scandalous that it should bring in information under Section 4, into Section 8 category. It has thus left no work for the Public Information Officer (PIO) who needs to just keep denying every kind of information.”
In addition, under Section 8 of the RTI Act, a public authority is bound to provide partial information, even if the remaining comes under information that can be denied. So, why pre-empt? Please see below the entire, exhaustive list under which information can be denied. The yellow highlights are the ones I have mentioned in the article. You might find a few others too.
(Vinita Deshmukh is consulting editor of Moneylife, an RTI activist and convener of the Pune Metro Jagruti Abhiyaan. She is the recipient of prestigious awards like the Statesman Award for Rural Reporting which she won twice in 1998 and 2005 and the Chameli Devi Jain award for outstanding media person for her investigation series on Dow Chemicals. She co-authored the book “To The Last Bullet - The Inspiring Story of A Braveheart - Ashok Kamte” with Vinita Kamte and is the author of “The Mighty Fall”.)
RTI is a fraud as one cannot get any information from any Govt. department, and people has been misled
Following the scandal the Reserve Bank sent a senior official on a fact-finding mission to De La Rue ‘s printing plant in Hampshire, UK. RBI which imports 95% of its security paper requirements and which is believed to account for up to a third of De la Rue’s profits excluded De la Rue from new contracts. De La Rue was blacklisted by the government with 2000 metric tonnes of its paper lying unused at printing presses and godowns. It was a disaster and De la Rue’s CEO James Hussey who is the godson of the Queen of England herself quit the company mysteriously. De la Rue’s shares tanked and it almost went bankrupt losing one of its most valuable customer – RBI .
Later in 2010 the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU), an Indian Parliamentary committee was shocked to find out that the Government had outsourced the printing of Rs 1 lakh crore of currency notes to US, UK and Germany putting the “entire economic sovereignty (of the country) at stakeâ€.
Ref: The Great Game India.