Chairperson calls on Dr Jitendra Singh
Srinagar bench to get ex SVC office
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 7: The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has mooted a proposal for creation of 72 posts of officers and staff in different grades for two benches of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Jammu and Srinagar which were recently approved by the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A decision to this effect was taken today after CAT Chairperson Manjula Das called on Union DoPT Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in New Delhi today.
She briefed Dr Jitendra Singh about the status of CAT benches in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
She apprised the Union Minister about setting up of one new bench as one bench of the CAT is already functioning in Jammu and Kashmir, creation of new posts, offices and allied infrastructure.
“A proposal for creation of 72 posts of officers and staff of different grades is currently under process with the Government and might be approved shortly,” official sources said.
Among 72 posts, 36 each will be for Jammu and Srinagar benches respectively.
They said Jammu bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal has been functioning by deputing officers/staff on tour or by temporary transfer of officers/staff from different benches of the Tribunal along with posts.
However, with the creation of 72 new posts–36 each for Jammu and Srinagar benches, the CAT will get their own permanent staff and there will be no need of bringing the staff on deputation to Jammu and Kashmir from other benches.
As far as generation of infrastructure for the two CAT benches is concerned, sources said the Estates Department of Jammu and Kashmir Government has allotted erstwhile State Vigilance Commission office in old Assembly complex at Shergari in Srinagar to the Central Administrative Tribunal for establishing bench.
“Possession of a part of available space in old Assembly complex allotted to CAT has been taken over but lacks furniture and electricity/water connection. On inspecting the building it has been found that renovation/modification/repair work are pre-requisite and the concerned authorities are required to be approached to execute the work before making the bench operational,” sources said.
However, the Jammu bench of CAT has already taken up the matter with administration of Jammu and Kashmir for carrying out required work of repair/modification etc in order to make the bench operational.
The employees of Ladakh can approach any of the two benches for redressal of their grievances, they said.
Significance of two CAT benches in Jammu and Kashmir, can be well gauged from the fact that prior to setting up of one bench in Jammu in 2020, the CAT bench at Chandigarh used to cater to the States like Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
After the abrogation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh became two separate Union Territories and accordingly employees of the erstwhile State of J&K became the employees of the UTs. As such, the disputes pertaining to their service matters are now to be adjudicated by the CAT.
The posts of Judicial and Administration Members (two each) have already been created for the two benches.
They added that a total of about 13000 cases have been transferred to Central Administrative Tribunal from the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir.
All employees of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will be beneficiaries of the Government decision on setting up two benches of Central Administrative Tribunal.
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