Polity

The Delhi high court on Monday dismissed a petition by former West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay challenging the transfer of a case against him from the Kolkata bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) to New Delhi. The CAT chairperson has the administrative powers to transfer the case to a different bench, the court said.

·        Bandyopadhyay is facing an inquiry for skipping a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May twenty eight last year, in connection with Cyclone Yaas.

·        Bandyopadhyay was served a show-cause notice below a stringent provision of the Disaster Management Act which entails imprisonment for up to 2 years.

·        About Central administrative tribunal The Central administrative tribunal had been established under Article 323 – A of the Constitution for adjudication of disputes and complaints with respect to recruitment and conditions of service of persons appointed to public services and posts in reference to the affairs of the Union or different authorities under the control of the govt.

·        In pursuance of Article 323-A, the Parliament has passed the Administrative Tribunals Act in 1985.

·        The act authorises the Central government to establish one Central administrative tribunal and therefore the state administrative tribunals.

·        There are seventeen Benches and twenty one Circuit Benches in the Central administrative tribunal all over India.

·        The CAT is a specialist body consisting of administrative Members and Judicial Members who by virtue of their specialised knowledge are better equipped to dispense speedy and effective justice.

·        Chairman: A chairman who has been a sitting or retired judge of a high court heads the Central administrative tribunal.

·        Its exercises jurisdiction only in relation to the service matters of the parties covered by the administrative Tribunals Act, 1985.

·        The Tribunal is guided by the principles of natural justice in deciding cases and is not bound by the procedure, prescribed by the Civil Procedure Code.

Appeals: The orders of Central Administrative Tribunal are challenged by way of Writ Petition under Article 226/227 of the Constitution before respective High Court in whose territorial jurisdiction the Bench of the Tribunal is situated.