The Centre on Friday clarified that all service matters of the employees of the Central government and the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will be heard by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Bench of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Neither the petitioner nor the lawyer needs to go to Chandigarh for filing a petition or appearing before the tribunal. The term ‘Chandigarh circuit’ is being misinterpreted to mean that the petitioner or the lawyer would have to go to Chandigarh, which is not so,” the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said in a statement.
The clarification came a day after lawyers and regional parties opposed the shifting of service matters, now pending before Jammu and Kashmir courts, to the CAT, Chandigarh.
In an order issued by the DoPT on April 29, the CAT, Chandigarh, was granted jurisdiction of the Benches in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab and in the Union Territories of Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
“It is reiterated that earlier also the CAT Bench used to hold its sittings in the State of Jammu and Kashmir to dispose of service matters related to Central government employees. The only difference now is that it will also be disposing of matters related to employees of the Union Territory, and therefore, will have more frequent sittings in Jammu and Kashmir,” the DoPT said.
The registration of cases can also be done either online or at the CAT’s secretariat office, which will be set up locally after the Union Territory government provides an appropriate facility, according to the DoPT.
“Disposal of cases through the CAT in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will ensure fair and objective delivery of justice,” the statement said.
