The briefing focused on the infrastructure, staffing, and the institution and disposal of cases in the Jammu Bench, especially in light of the Writ Petition (Civil) titled Achal Sharma Vs Union of India & Ors, filed in the Supreme Court.
Jitendra Singh emphasised the government’s commitment to prioritising the region and ensuring the well-being of its government officers and staff. The aim, he said, is to keep them motivated and contribute to the accelerated development of the Union Territory.
The CAT Jammu Bench was established on June 8, 2020, during the height of the pandemic, initially with one Division Bench. On January 10, 2023, the central government increased the strength to two Division Benches, considering the large number of pending cases transferred from the High Court of J&K to the tribunal.
“Both Division Benches in Jammu are now functioning at full strength, consisting of two Judicial Members and two Administrative Members. Since its inception, a total of 11,792 cases have been transferred from the High Court of J&K, of which 9,275 have already been disposed of, including long-pending cases,” said the Minister.
“The infrastructure of the CAT Jammu Bench has been enhanced through the joint efforts of the Union Government and the J&K government. A new building, equipped with adequate amenities, is expected to be functional by the end of this month. Additionally, efforts are being made to build human resource capacity to improve efficiency, as briefed by the chairman” the Minister added.
Lauding the efforts of the Jammu Bench, Jitendra Singh said, “Despite several challenges, the CAT Jammu Bench has maintained a satisfactory disposal rate, ensuring the relatively early resolution of grievances of employees in the Union Territory. This has allowed them to focus on the developmental activities of J&K.”
