NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved creation of two posts each of judicial and administrative members for Jammu and Srinagar benches of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which adjudicates service matters of government employees.
The decision is aimed at providing speedy and affordable justice to the employees of Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh by adjudicating the disputes arising out of their service matters. “The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved two posts each (of judicial and administrative members) for CAT benches in Jammu and Srinagar,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said in a press briefing. He said posts of one judicial member and one administrative member each has been approved for Jammu and Srinagar respectively.
Minister of State for Personnel Dr Jitendra Singh said the creation of two posts each of judicial and administrative members for the Jammu and Srinagar benches of CAT in Jammu and Kashmir will be huge relief and convenience for the government employees. “I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approving creation of these posts. It will be a huge relief and convenience to the government employees working in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh,” he told PTI. After the abrogation of Article 370, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh became two separate Union Territories and accordingly employees of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir became the employees of the Union Territories, officials said.
As such the disputes pertaining to their service matters are now to be adjudicated by CAT, they said. For this purpose, the government of India has established two benches of CAT — one each in Jammu and Srinagar. A total of about 13,000 cases have been transferred to CAT from the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir. The CAT has been functioning since its inception on November 1, 1985 and has been an effective mechanism in the redressal of disputes arising out of service matters of government employees. It has 17 benches apart from the newly established benches in Jammu and Srinagar, the officials said.
As on May 31, 2021, a total of 8,54,654 cases have been instituted, out of which 7,85,986 cases have been disposed of representing 91.96% disposal rate, they said.
