COURTESY TIMESOF INDIA JULY 29

After high court nod, Centre’s notification to abolish tribunal
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Shimla:

The government of India on Friday issued a notification for the abolition of HP State Administrative Tribunal. The state government before approaching the Centre for this had obtained the concurrence of the Himachal Pradesh high court.

Interestingly, the tribunal has been abolished at a time when lawyers were protesting against the state government decision and were demanding to keep the tribunal functional. Interestingly, whenever the Congress government comes to power it revives the tribunal while the BJP government on its part abolishes it and this has been done for the second time. Now, all pending matters of the tribunal would be transferred to the state high court.

According to sources, despite the Centre issuing gazette notification for the abolition of the tribunal, its chairperson Justice V K Sharma and member D K Sharma would continue to draw their salaries though facilities of official vehicles, official residence and protocol would be withdrawn shortly.

As chairman and member of the tribunal are constitutional posts, they will continue to get their salary till the time their term is over.

Sources said following the nod of the Centre, now the state government would soon bring an ordinance to complete the remaining formalities to wrap up the tribunal. After taking the decision to abolish it in a cabinet meeting, the state government had written a letter to the Centre to complete the formalities.

While completing the formalities through an ordinance, the state government will bring a revised bill in this regard in the state assembly during the coming monsoon session.

At present, around 100 employees are deployed at the state administrative tribunal and now the government will have to consider their shifting to other departments. These employees can either be sent to the HC or in other government departments.

This is not the first time when the tribunal will be abolished in the state. In July 2008, it was abolished by the then BJP government headed by Prem Kumar Dhumal. Himachal Pradesh Administrative Tribunal was set up on September 1,1986, for quick redress of grievances of the state government employees