ATM operations exempt from RTI: CIC

Citizens cannot invoke their right to information to compel commercial banks to share the details on operation of their ATMs, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has held.

The Commission's observation came as it turned down an RTI application seeking certain information from the country's biggest lender SBI about the operation of its ATMs.

"Information concerning operation of ATMs is really a matter of commercial confidence and as a matter of fact, lot of security is involved in such a procedure and such information can not be given to any outsider," Information Commissioner Padma Balasubramanian said in a recent order.

The order came on a plea of G Ramachandra Rao, a resident of Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh, who had approached SBI with a plethora of queries ranging from defective disbursement of its ATMs to seeking copies of guidelines framed by RBI and Indian Banks' Association (IBA) on maintenance of the Automated Teller Machines.

Turning down Rao's request for the guidelines, General Manager of SBI's Kurnool branch had said that there were no specific guidelines of RBI or IBA on maintenance of ATMs or withdrawing excess cash from them.

On the question of defective disbursement of ATMs, the bank said that such details were specific to its customers and would fall under the category of 'third-party information', which was categorically exempted from disclosure under the RTI Act, 2005.

"I agree with the stand taken by the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of SBI," Balasubramanian said while disposing of the applicant's plea.