CAT may be abolished – suggestions invited
DDT 99 on 21 04 2005 had remarked, “ CAT to be abolished? - TIOL had recently reported that the Chairman of the CBEC is likely to join the Central Administrative Tribunal, but is the CAT going to be abolished? Not very soon, but there is a possibility. There is no provision either in the Constitution or the CAT Act to abolish the administrative Tribunal. Even if the Tribunal has outlived its utility, there is no way the Government can abolish it. A Bill is likely top be presented in this session of Parliament to bring in the necessary changes.”
About a year later the Bill has been presented in the Rajya Sabha and is now under consideration of the Standing Committee. The Committee has invited suggestions.
The Bill seeks to provide for
1. Abolition of the Administrative Tribunal fully or partially and to transfer pending cases
2. Regulation of employees of the abolished Tribunals
3. Deletion of the contempt power to Tribunals. ( which they in any case do not have as per the L. Chandra Kumar case)