CAT stops salary of 6 officers

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 26: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Jammu Bench comprising Rajinder Singh Dogra (Judicial Member) and Ram Mohan Johri (Administrative Member) has stopped the salary of six officers for non-compliance of the orders.
In a matter pertaining to the year 2011 titled “Dr Surjit Kumar and Others Versus Industries and Commerce Department J&K”, reply has not been filed by the respondents even after the lapse of 13 years and taking serious note of the same, the CAT has stopped the salary of General Manager and Managing Director of Industries Department.
In another case titled “Ashok Kumar Raina Versus Forest, Environment and Ecology Department”, salary of Director, Social Forestry has been stopped as even after being given 10 opportunities the respondent has not filed the reply.
The salary of Administrative Officer, J&K Power Development Corporation has also been stopped in a case titled “Parush Gupta Versus Power Development Department” where the respondents were given 17 opportunities but no reply was filed. The CAT has also stopped salary of the Commandant, NCC in case titled “Ranjit Singh Versus Home Department” which is pending since last 5 years. In this case, 14 opportunities were granted to the respondents but no reply was filed.
Similarly, in another seven year old case titled “Angraz Singh Versus Education Department”, salary of Chief Education Officer, Doda has been stopped for his failure to file reply despite availing several opportunities.
In all these cases, the CAT, while granting last opportunity, had made it clear that incase of failure to ensure compliance the erring officers shall remain present before the Tribunal to explain why the reply was not filed since last so many years, but the respondents neither filed the reply nor did they bother to appear before the court. So, the CAT took coercive measure to stop the salary of erring officers.
The CAT has directed the concerned Administrative Secretaries to hold enquiry against these officers and action taken report along with the reply be placed before the court by the next date of hearing.