Pending Cases in ITAT crosses 100,000 mark!
DDT 2366 03.06.2014 observed, "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."
Our COB( WEB) - 399 JUNE 05, 2014 noted, "yesterday, I was told that the pendency in the ITAT has exceeded 91,000 as on May 1, 2014, and at the present growth rate it would soon leave behind the CESTAT in its 'unhealthy' competition!"
And Wow! ITAT has achieved this distinction.
As on 1.1.2015, there are 100,574 cases pending in the various Benches of ITAT.
Welcome to the one Lakh Club.
Interestingly our CESTAT has gone out of the one lakh club! As on 1.12.2014, there are only 96,039 cases pending in CESTAT. These are of course regular matters; if Stay applications are also taken into consideration, the CESTAT is very well entitled to be in the club.
Assuming that the total tax involved in all these 2 lakh cases is around, one lakh crore rupees; the success rate of the Government is about 20 percent which means if all these cases are decided, the Government will get Rs. 20,000 crores.
If the Government imposes a litigation cess of 1% on all the taxes, they will get about Rs. 15,000 Crores. Do it for two years and you get 30,000 crores. Then you can happily close down the Tribunals and start afresh. May be even for the pending cases you can collect 1% of the disputed amount and close all these cases.
Litigation Industry thrives!