Pending Cases in CESTAT reaches 100,000 Mark!
OUR CESTAT has also achieved a not so rare distinction in Indian Judicial history. The number of pending cases in the beginning of this financial year has crossed the unmanageable level of 100,000 - yes ONE LAKH cases.
As on 1.5.2014 there are 1,01,074 cases pending in the 6 seats of CESTAT Benches. Delhi is leading with over 28,000 cases, while Mumbai is a close second with 21,000 cases. Kolkata is last with less than 10,000 cases. Bangalore has about 18,000 pending cases, while Chennai has nearly 12,000 cases and Ahmedabad has slightly over 12,000 cases.
The monthly disposal of all Benches put together is about 3000 and the fresh accruals are about 3500.
Maybe we need at least twenty more Benches to bring down the arrears to some manageable limits - and it doesn't really cost much to have more CESTAT Benches. A part of the cadre review in the Department should be diverted to CESTAT. Reduce the number of posts of Commissioners by about 50 and that money can be diverted to CESTAT. Less number of Commissioners means less litigation and more Members in the Tribunal means more disposal of cases.
It is possible to retrieve this Tribunal before it collapses under its own weight - the new FM should bestow his attention on this problem before it is too late.