ITAT - Grievances Galore
ITAT is the first Tribunal in India and like all other Public Institutions, ITAT is also facing an acute shortage of staff and even Members and Departmental Representatives.
Recently the CIT(DR) wrote a letter to the ITAT highlighting the problems of the DRs. His grievances included:-
1. There is a crisis in the deployment of man power to argue the cases before the Hon'ble benches.
2. Cases are assigned to DRs depending on the availability of manpower, which often is disproportionate to the number that can be handled by them.
3. Even though there are instructions that number of cases in a day per Bench should not exceed 20, it is noticed that more cases are listed and some added at the last moment giving very little time to the DRs to prepare.
4. Arguments of the DRs are often not recorded in the orders, making Revenue cases weaker at higher Courts.
5. In some orders, adverse remarks are made against the Department and DRs.
Responding to the CIT, ITAT has taken some important decisions:-
1. There is a practice of listing new appeals on the 60th day. This was done when the number of appeals was manageable. This practice is now dropped. Appeals will come in their due course.
2. Out of the nine Benches sanctioned for Delhi, only six Benches are functional.
3. It is to be ensured that the cases fixed before each Bench every day should not exceed 20 except covered or group matters.
4. The letter of the CIT (DR) is to be circulated among the Members of the Delhi Benches so that they can keep in mind the grievance expressed by the Department.