Jammu, 20 September (H.S.): The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Jammu Bench’s disposal of service cases has gone beyond expectations and is among the highest in the country, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh said today.

The Minister was speaking after inaugurating the new Office-cum-Court Complex of the Central Administrative Tribunal, Jammu Bench, at Bahu Plaza, Jammu in presence of Chairman CAT, Justice R.K. Morey and other members of the CAT. He said the high disposal of cases by the CAT Benches in Jammu and Srinagar demonstrates the capacity built by the Tribunal to provide speedy and accessible justice in service matters.

Dr. Jitendra Singh recalled that the Central Administrative Tribunal was established in 1985 under the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, with the broad objective of providing speedy and affordable justice in service matters concerning government employees, while also reducing the burden on constitutional courts.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Tribunal’s purpose could broadly be understood in three dimensions, speedy justice in service matters, affordable justice for government employees, and reduction of the burden on constitutional courts. CAT provides for a nominal fee of ₹50 for filing an Original Application, while no fee is charged for Miscellaneous Applications, Review Applications and Contempt Petitions, among others.

Referring to the Tribunal’s overall performance, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that since its inception and up to June 30, 2026, a total of 10,01,177 cases had been filed before CAT across the country, of which 9,32,723 had been disposed of, resulting in an overall disposal rate of approximately 93.16 per cent.

The Minister said the experience of the Jammu and Srinagar Benches was particularly significant in view of the substantial workload transferred from the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir High Court as well as the fresh cases instituted before the Tribunal. Up to June 30, 2026, 20,984 cases had been received on transfer from the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir, while 20,405 fresh cases had been instituted before the Benches. Accordingly,18392 and 13952 cases were disposed of from the above two categories respectively. The overall total number of cases received was 41389 with minimal pendency.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said the figures demonstrate that the Jammu and Srinagar Benches have not only taken forward the cases transferred from the High Court but have also dealt with a substantial volume of fresh service matters.

The Minister said the Jammu Bench, which initially functioned with one Division Bench, was subsequently strengthened with another Division Bench in view of the growing workload and the need for speedy redressal of employees’ grievances. The Bench presently has two Judicial Members and two Administrative Members.

Dr. Jitendra Singh also highlighted the significance of the low rate of appeals from the CAT Jammu Bench to the High Court. He said only around 8 per cent of the cases from the CAT Jammu Bench have gone in appeal to the Jammu & Kashmir High Court.

He said the low proportion of appeals was significant in the context of the very purpose for which CAT was established to provide speedy justice in service matters. Referring to the statutory provision for challenging CAT judgments before the High Court, the Minister said that while the appellate mechanism has its place, repeated or unnecessary recourse to further litigation can add another layer to the process and potentially delay the objective of speedy justice.

“The ideal situation would be when no room is left to go for an appeal, no tendency is left, no tension is left, no expectation is left, no requirement is left,” the Minister said, while leaving the issue to the wisdom of the legal fraternity and inviting their suggestions.

Dr. Jitendra Singh acknowledged the cooperation extended by the legal fraternity of Jammu in strengthening the functioning of CAT and appreciated their continued guidance and inputs. He also acknowledged the support extended by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir in facilitating the establishment of the new facility.

The Minister said the new Office-cum-Court Complex at Bahu Plaza would provide the Jammu Bench with expanded space and requisite infrastructure to function at its full capacity and further strengthen speedy and accessible redressal of service-related grievances.

Referring to the wider expansion of CAT infrastructure, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that over the past several years, new and independent infrastructure has been created at various Tribunal locations. He referred to the establishment of the Jabalpur Bench in 2021, the shifting of the Mumbai Bench from rented accommodation to a government building, and the setting up of new facilities at Lucknow and Guwahati.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar