The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Two new members for KAT

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Friday, Apr 11, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Two new members for KAT

Special Correspondent

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

The team: Chairman, Karnataka Administrative Tribunal, A.V. Srinivasa Reddy (left) greeting G. Raju Prem Kumar and P.S.S.Thomas (right) in Bangalore on Thursday.

BANGALORE: The Union Government has appointed two new administrative members for the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT).

The new members G. Raju Prem Kumar and P.S.S. Thomas, both former IAS officers, assumed office at a simple function held in the chamber of the chairman of the KAT, C.V. Srinivas Reddy.

With the new appointments, the KAT now has a full Bench and can deal with the cases expeditiously.

Mr. Reddy told presspersons that the State Government has also sent a request to the Union Government to consider appointing two more judicial members and one more administrative member to KAT which will enable it to have three full Benches, which is the maximum capacity of the tribunal.

Mr. Reddy said that the tribunal had a total pendency of 20,900 cases since the year 2000 and with the new members taking office, the disposal of cases could be faster. The high pendency of cases was due to the fact that the tribunal had neither administrative members nor judicial members so far and only the chairman was conducting the proceedings. Mr. Reddy said he and his new members hoped that the Government would appoint the rest of the officials soon.

The KAT had also requested the Government to give office and court space at the newly built Kandaya Bhavan (Revenue Bhavan) which will help the tribunal to minimise delays due to appeals for adjournment by advocates. Presently, advocates sought adjournment of cases citing the distance between Vidhana Soudha, High Court and the KAT located at Indiranagar-BDA complex.

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