HP Govt may reopen SAT: Decides to apply for clearance from the centre
Shimla, Oct 26
Himachal Pradesh’s State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) comes in the spotlight as the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government is pursuing its reinstatement by seeking clearance from the Central government. The rationale behind this move lies in the need to expedite the resolution of employee matters and reduce the associated litigation costs.
The Himachal Pradesh government is advocating for the revival of SAT under the provisions of the Administrative Tribunal Act of 1985. The argument is that by reestablishing the former SAT, the state government can provide swifter justice to non-IAS officers and employees, while simultaneously cutting down on litigation expenses.
To understand the context, it’s essential to note that in 2019, the previous Jairam government took the decision to denotify the tribunal. This resulted in the relocation of SAT from Majitha House in Chhota Shimla to the Himachal Pradesh High Court. This transition had a significant impact, particularly on non-administrative employees and officers who relied on SAT to address a variety of administrative matters.
The consequences of the denotification were felt in the High Court, as the caseload there increased. The Himachal Pradesh High Court, which already faced a backlog, found it challenging to dispose of Regular Second Appeals promptly. Before the denotification, all cases related to state officers and employees were handled by the SAT. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the redressal of employee matters was deprioritized, further exacerbating the situation.
Before reopening SAT, the state government must secure permission from the Central government concerning administrative and financial powers, service rules, and procedural regulations for the proposed tribunal. It’s important to note that a similar administrative tribunal called CAT exists for the redressal of IAS Officers, and Central government employees with former state cadre IAS Tarun Shridhar serving as its head.
Notably, the notification and denotification of SAT have become somewhat of a tradition in Himachal Pradesh, often aligned with changes in political power between the Congress and BJP. In 2008 and 2019, the BJP-led governments took actions to close SAT. In 2015, the Virbhadra government, as part of its election promises, reinstated SAT with Justice VK Sharma as its chairman. The tribunal functioned for over four years.
However, in 2019, following a change in the state’s leadership, the Jairam government closed SAT once more through an ordinance. This move resulted in the transfer of 21,000 pending cases to the High Court, while employees serving within SAT were reassigned to different departments.
SAT, initially established on September 1, 1986, aimed to facilitate the speedy resolution of cases involving officers and employees. Its potential revival is contingent on receiving approval from the Central government, promising significant implications for the efficiency and accessibility of justice in Himachal Pradesh.
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