NO PROPOSAL TO ABOLISH CAT: RAJE
There is no proposal to abolish the
Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) pending with the Government
at present. This was stated by the Minister of State for Personnel,
Public Grievances and Pensions Smt. Vaundhara Raje at the inauguration
of the office-cum-court complex of the Principal Bench of CAT
by the Chief Justice of India, Shri Justice B.N.Kirpal, here today.
The Minister said that the Government proposes to bring legislation
soon to amend Administrative Tribunals Act so that the right of
citizens to appeal could be incorporated into it and also to streamline
the setting up and abolition of Administrative Tribunals set up
by various states.
Smt. Raje said that over the
years, CAT has brought justice nearer to Central Government employees
and has helped in many ways to bring judicial balance to administrative
action. In fact, the Administrative Tribunals have become an important
mechanism, which reduce the workload of High Courts so as to enable
the latter to concentrate on matters relating to common people,
other than Government servants. Congratulating the CAT for bringing
down the pendency of the cases, the Minister said that since its
inception in 1985, the CAT received over 3.83 lakh cases out of
which 3.51 lakh cases have been disposed of up to June 2002, leaving
the pendency of little over 32,000 cases.
To enable Administrative Tribunals
to assist High Courts and Supreme Court as an effective filter
mechanism by reducing the litigation in those exalted fora, the
Minister said that it is necessary that the Tribunals remain guided
by these time tested principles of justice and its applicability.
The Minister hoped that the CAT would leave a lasting impression
of its judicial capability and carve out a niche for itself as
a vital cog of our judicial system.
