CESTAT Senior Member seeks information from CESTAT under RTI
SENIOR-most CESTAT Member Ms. Archana Wadhwa has asked the Assistant Registrar&CPIO of the CESTAT for the following information.
The entire correspondence between the President and the Ministry of Finance / Department of Revenue during the month of February and up to 3.3.2016 i.e. the date of his retirement in relation to the transfer of the undersigned as also of handing over of work to the undersigned.
Copy of the letter dated 21.10.2014 from the Revenue Secretary addressed to the President on the basis of which the undersigned was transferred from Delhi.
Background: Ms Archana Wadhwa, Member (J) was transferred from the Principal Bench, Delhi to the Bangalore Bench on a request made by the Revenue Secretary in his letter dated 21.10.2014. She is now asking for a copy of that letter.
Justice Goda Raghuram retired as the President of the Tribunal on 3.3.2016. Before that he had transferred Ms. Archana Wadhwa back to Delhi. On 3.3.2016, the Revenue Secretary objected to the transfer and requested the president to cancel the transfer order of Ms. Archana Wadhwa from Bangalore to Delhi.
On 31.3.2016, the Government appointed Mr. MV Ravindran, the next senior-most Member as Head of Department of CESTAT till a regular President joins.
Now Ms. Archana Wadhwa is asking for the entire correspondence between the President of the Tribunal and the Ministry.
The absence of the President has created a sort of crisis in the Tribunal. Please see "CESTAT Needs a Regular President - Immediately" in DDT 2821 06 04 2016