Jammu CAT gets four more judges, two to remain in Srinagar

SRINAGAR, JULY 29, 2021 : Jammu and Kashmir today became the first Union Territory in the country to have two benches of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) with Prime Minister Narendra Modi-headed Union Cabinet approving a proposal

Officials said that four more judges have been deployed and among them two will be deployed in Srinagar

It was on June 8, 2020 after abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of erstwhile State into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh that Dr Jitendra Singh had inaugurated CAT bench in Jammu which had jurisdiction over J&K and Ladakh.

Now there will be two benches—one each for Jammu and Srinagar which will have jurisdiction over the two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the officials said.

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.

They added that a total of about 13000 cases have been transferred to Central Administrative Tribunal from the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir.

Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi said this will provide speedy and affordable justice to the employees of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Union Territories by adjudicating the disputes arising out of their service matters. (PTK)