ORDER

1. The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 19.02.2022 seeking information on the following points:

 Kindly note that I am having some issues with HDFC Bank and have approached RBI BO earlier (vide request no. 202122022004054) for resolution of the same.

(i) Please furnish details of actions taken on my request (no. 202122022004054) and all related notings/ correspondences in this regard. Please inform also the kind of efforts put in by RBI to help resolve the issue.

(ii) I understand that, when RBI BO accepts an application (after due checking on its merits), RBI is supposed to give a logical conclusion to the said application.

In the instant case, please provide reasons behind stated decision of RBI in line with that of HDFC Bank. If RBI had to accept the stand of HDFC Bank (I already had intimated the decision of HDFC Bank in my application to RBI BO) in the matter, there was no need for RBI to accept my application in the first instance.

Please provide reasons also behind your decision in first accepting my application and then rejecting the same.

(iii) Please provide reasons behind your decision in first accepting my appeal and then rejecting the same.

(iv) Please arrange to get information from HDFC Bank regarding the reasons behind issuance of new (renewal) credit card initially by them when payment was still due and the name of the official(s) from HDFC Bank who decided so.

Similarly, reasons behind deactivating my credit card (when blocking the card would have solved the purpose, especially in view of COVID scenario and my illness) be obtained from HDFC Bank, along with the name of the official(s) from HDFC Bank who decided so. Further, reasons behind not activating my credit card (when all pending outstanding dues were paid), especially in view of COVID scenario and my illness, be obtained from HDFC Bank, along with the name of the official(s) from HDFC Bank who decided so.

(v) Please inform total no. of cases regarding bank credit card issues registered (and accepted) with RBI BO in last 5 years and current status of the same.

Further, please inform no. of such cases wherein RBI actually helped customers in resolving the issues and no. of such cases wherein RBI took the stand of banks (both public and private separately), in last 5 years.

…, etc./ other related information 2. The CPIO replied vide letter dated 22.03.2022 and the same is reproduced as under:-

(i) As per Annexure "A".

(ii) We have replied to your representation vide email dated January 11, 2022 contents of which are self-explanatory (Copy enclosed).

(iii) We have replied to your representation vide email dated January 11, 2022 contents of which are self-explanatory (Copy enclosed).

(iv) We do not have any information to furnish in this regard.

(v) The number of complaints pertaining to Credit Cards, received by the Offices of the RBI Ombudsman (ORBIO) under the erstwhile Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006 (as amended up to July 01,2017) from 2016-2021 is given below:

Year^ Credit Card Complaints Received at ORBIOs 2016-17 8,297 2017-18 12,647 2018-19 13,274 2019-20 28,713 2020-21 33,762 April 01, 2021 to November 11, 2021 24,755 ^ The years from 2016-17 to 2019-20 pertain to July to June. The year 2020-21 pertains to July 2020 to March 2021. Further, all the complaints received at the ORBIOs till November 11 ,2021 have been disposed. The Reserve Bank of India integrated the three Ombudsman schemes – (i) The Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006, as amended up to July 01, 2017;

(ii) The Ombudsman Scheme for Nonbanking Financial Companies, 2018; and (iii) The Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions, 2019, in force hitherto November 11, 2021, into the Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS), 2021 , which came into effect from November 12, 2021.

The RB-IOS, 2021 is available at:

https://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/content/pdfs/RBIOS2021 121121.pdf The information re