The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Move to abolish APAT flayed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 20, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Move to abolish APAT flayed

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, AUG. 19. The move of the State Government to abolish the Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal (APAT) has drawn flak from various employees' unions, more particularly, the AP Non-Gazetted Officers' Association (APNGO) and the Telangana Non-Gazetted Officers' (TNGO) Union.

Leaders of the APNGOs' Association, TNGOs' Union and the APAT Bar Association, at a meeting, took serious exception to the move. The President of India had promulgated AP Administrative Tribunal Order, 1975, constituting a separate Tribunal to deal with service matters relating to employees of Government of Andhra Pradesh. Owing to certain drawbacks in the order, the Government had abolished it and decided to establish a new tribunal under the provisions of Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, in October 1989 in pursuance of the Gentlemen Agreement/Six Point Formula.

Tribunal earnings

The leaders reasoned that the tribunal was earning Rs.15-20 lakhs per year by way of court fee. The revenue took care of the salaries of the employees including its Chairman and members. Once the tribunal was abolished, the Government would be forced to create four or five benches in the High court leading to additional expenditure.

In the event of abolition, the associations pointed out that the first sufferer would be the employee as his grievances were redressed effectively by it. Going to the High Court and questioning the orders of the Government would be a burden on the employees. Disposal of writ petition would be a delayed process.

Speedy disposal of cases

The leaders said the tribunal had been disposing of cases in a short time despite staff constraints. Nearly 2.80 lakh cases had been disposed of over the last 26 years.

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