Shifting of service matters to CAT Chandigarh
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 1: While BJP criticized the Opposition parties including National Conference (NC) and Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) for playing politics on notification regarding Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), various opposition parties including Congress, National Panthers Party (NPP) and some employees bodies have criticized the Union Government decision and demanded establishment of permanent CAT bench at Jammu, Srinagar and Ladakh.
BJP chief spokesperson, Advocate Sunil Sethi and spokesperson, Brig (retd) Anil Gupta have criticized the opposition parties and accused them of misleading public in this regard.
Advocate Sunil Sethi in a statement issued here, while welcoming the clarification issued by Central Government on the issue of jurisdiction and functioning of CAT for service matters of Government employees of UT of J&K and Government employees of UT of Ladakh said Union Minister in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh took no time in issuing the clarification that CAT benches will sit in J&K to decide the cases of JK employees.
He said after issuing of notification on April 29 vesting jurisdiction with CAT Chandigarh over the service matters of employees of UT of J&K, there was deliberate attempt to mislead public that it will mean that all cases on service side of JK employees will be entertained and heard in Chandigarh. The falsity of the politically motivated move stood exposed with clarification that all the service matters will be filed within Jammu and Kashmir and heard also here by respective CAT benches, he added.
He also complimented the J&K BJP leadership for taking the issue with Central Government.
BJP spokesperson, Brig Anil Gupta also lambasted the NC and JKAP for playing politics on Central Government notification regarding Chandigarh Bench CAT.
In a statement issued here, Brig Gupta said though the Central Government notification intimating that Chandigarh Bench of the CAT will have jurisdiction over the UT of J&K which is necessitated due to promulgation of Jammu & Kashmir Reorganization Act- 2019, it nowhere mentioned that this would require the affected employees to visit Chandigarh.
He alleged that the political parties NC and JKAP have begun playing politics without even reading the fine print and understanding the functioning of CAT all over the country.
Senior Congress leader and its spokesperson, Ravinder Sharma and other leaders have termed the decision on shifting all service matters to Chandigarh Bench of CAT as totally unfortunate and demanded creation of CAT Bench in Jammu, Srinagar and Ladakh. The Congress leaders questioned the order regarding shifting of service matters to Chandigarh without making alternative arrangements in Jammu, Srinagar and Ladakh.
Senior Congress leader and former president Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, M K Bhardwaj assailed the Central Government’s decision to shift all service matters relating to J&K Government employees from High Court to CAT.
Pointing out that there are huge number of service matters pending disposal before J&K High Court at present, Bhardwaj described the Central Government’s decision was taken without making any arrangements to deal with such a large number of service matters and without taking into consideration the difficulties likely to be faced by the employees of J&K and UT of Ladakh travelling all the way to Chandigarh to file the cases there. He demanded immediate roll back of the decision.
Panthers Trade Union also regretted employees Grievances Tribunal at Chandigarh and demanded it in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. The Trade Union criticized the BJP’s anti people policies which it alleged have curbed the interests of general public and Government employees of the two UTs.
In a resolution adopted in online Video Conference held today under the leadership of Prof Bhim Singh, NPP supremo, it strongly condemned the Union of India notification regarding the establishment of CAT at Chandigarh.
J&K Rehbar-e-Taleem Teachers Forum (JKReTTF) also strongly reacted to the order of Union Government regarding the transfer of all the service matters of the employees of UT of J&K to CAT Chandigarh Bench.
In a statement issued today, JKReTTF chairman Farooq Ahmed Tantray said that the people of J&K UT have a fundamental right to have access to justice at Srinagar, and Jammu Wing of J&K High Court but the notification has given a big blow to the justice system in the UT and demanded that the notification be immediately withdrawn.
Jammu Kashmir Medical Employees Federation (JKMEF) has demanded immediate withdrawal of the controversial order of the Central Government in which it has extended jurisdiction of Central Administrative Tribunal over UTs of J&K and Ladakh.
In a telephonic meeting with other senior leaders of the Federation, JKMEF president, Sushil Sudan vehemently objected to the Central Government order as per which CAT’s Chandigarh branch will now resolve service matters of J&K and Ladakh employees.
“Instead of establishing two tribunals one at Jammu and another in Srinagar for the aggrieved employees of J&K UT, extending jurisdiction of CAT Chandigarh branch over UTs of J&K and Ladakh for adjudication is simply a travesty of Justice,’ Sudan said.
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