It is desirable to continue with administrative tribunals: CJI

New Delhi, Nov 1(ANI): Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan on Sunday expressed satisfaction that most benches of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) have progressively improved their disposal in recent years.

Addressing the All-India Conference of the CAT in the national capital, Justice Balakrishnan, said: "Some regional benches have disposed off a higher number of cases than the numbers instituted before them."

He further said that even in the light of the L. Chandra Kumar decision, it is desirable to continue with the administrative tribunals, despite the power of the High Courts to scrutinize their decisions.

"It must be noted that an overwhelming majority of the decisions given by the benches of the CAT are upheld by the respective high Courts. Also, these tribunals are more accessible top litigants, both in terms of lower costs and absence of complex procedures," he added.

While, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Prithviraj Chavan said that so far 191 organizations have been brought within the ambit of the CAT.

"Naturally, more Government employees would be in a position to get speedy justice for their grievances. If we can fulfill the infrastructure needs of the CAT, even the PSUs and the Public Sector Banking institutions could be covered," Chavan added.

Refering to the Report of the Law Commission, titled "L. Chandrakumar be revisited by a larger Bench of the Supreme Court", Chavan said: "The matter has been discussed with the Chairman of the CAT and the Report is currently under active consideration of the Government. We will have to find ways, which will help us to protect the original objective with which the Administrative Tribunals were conceived."

Chavan also expressed satisfaction that since its inception, the CAT has handled about 5.32 lakh cases, out of which only about 23,000 are pending.

He further assured that there would be a constant support for all the activities of the CAT.

"We have taken steps to fill up the vacancies in the CAT as soon as they arise. In fact, ever since the Act got amended, we have been able to fill up about 47 vacancies. We will support construction of modern office space wherever land available. CAT is already making good use of Information Technology. We will support further upgradation," Chavan said.

Chairman of the Principal Bench of CAT, Justice V.K. Bali, said that disposal at the principal bench was 110 percent as compared to the institution in the year 2008.

"We have decided it as a matter of policy that life of no case in the tribunal in any part of the country would be more than six months. On an average, 91 per cent of cases of the principal bench have been upheld in the petitions in Delhi High Court," he said. (ANI)