Appellant alleged that SBI is charging higher rate of interest after switching over by payment of 0.56% of outstanding home loan amounts & sought information about it - CIC: Denial upheld, Appellant may approach the appropriate forum for his grievance
20 Oct, 2015ORDER
1. The appellant Shri B. Prabhakar Reddy, submitted RTI application dated 16.07.2014 before the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), State Bank of India, YSR (Kadapa) District seeking information in respect of home loan borrowers who were paying instalments at present and the details of home loan borrowers who were switching over from higher interest rates to lower interest rates by paying 0.56% onetime switch over fee for their outstanding balance.
2. Aggrieved with non receipt of response from the CPIO, the appellant filed an appeal on 18.8.2014 before the FAA. The FAA vide order dated 15.09.2014 held that the CPIO, RBO, Kapada had sent a reply dated 18.8.2014 stating that the application was not accompanied with RTI fee in prescribed mode of payment. He further informed the appellant that the information sought relates to the details of borrowers which is exempt from disclosure under the provisions of Section 8(1) (e) and (j) of the RTI Act, which had been returned undelivered. The FAA held that the information sought seeking details of each of the housing loan borrowers was purely personal information of those borrowers which has no relationship to any public activity or interest and also the information is held in fiduciary capacity. However, the FAA remitted the matter to the CPIO, SBI, Kapada to verify the records and provide information relating to the total number of housing loan accounts with the aggregate outstanding and those housing loan accounts which have been switched over to the extent available within twenty days. In compliance with the directions of the FAA, the CPIO vide letter dated 13.10.2014 provided the total number of housing loan accounts, aggregate outstanding of housing loans, total number of housing loans which have been switched over as per the request of the borrowers by payment of 0.56% of existing outstanding towards switch over fee and aggregate outstanding amount of such accounts.
3. Thereafter the appellant filed the present appeal before the Commission.
4. The matter was heard by the Commission. The appellant stated that the SBI is charging higher rate of interest after switching over by payment of 0.56% of outstanding loan amounts. The respondents stated that they had already provided information permissible under the RTI Act. The CPIO had also complied with the directions of the FAA vide his letter dated 13.10.2014 by providing the total number of housing loan accounts, aggregate outstanding of housing loans, total number of housing loans which have been switched over as per the request of the borrowers by payment of 0.56% of existing outstanding towards switch over fee and aggregate outstanding amount of such accounts.
5. The Commission accepts the submissions of the respondents and upholds their decision. The appellant may like to approach the appropriate forum for his grievances about rates of interest, if any. The appeal is disposed of.
(Manjula Prasher)
Information Commissioner
Citation: Shri B. Prabhakar Reddy v. State Bank of India in Appeal: No. CIC/MP/A/2014/002155 CIC/MP/A/2014/002389