JAMMU AND KASHMIR – A new office-and-court complex for the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Jammu was inaugurated on Sunday, a development that led the Centre to inform the Supreme Court about the closure of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the tribunal’s infrastructure in the region.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre, submitted the update to a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant. The new facility, located at Bahu Plaza, aims to bolster the provision of speedy, affordable, and accessible justice in service matters.
New Complex Inaugurated in Jammu
Union Minister Jitendra Singh officially opened the new office-cum-court complex of the CAT’s Jammu bench. During the inauguration, Singh highlighted the facility as a significant step towards enhancing the delivery of justice for government employees and other service-related cases.
The PIL, filed in 2020 by Achal Sharma, had alleged inadequate space and staffing for the functioning of the CAT bench in Jammu. Taking note of the Centre’s submission regarding the new complex, the apex court closed the PIL. However, the court granted the petitioner the liberty to approach it again should any future concerns arise.
CAT’s National Performance and J&K Specifics
The minister provided an overview of the Central Administrative Tribunal’s performance nationwide. Since its establishment in 1985 until June 30, 2026, a total of 10,01,177 cases have been filed across its various benches throughout the country. Out of these, 9,32,723 cases have been disposed of, indicating a high disposal rate of 93.16 percent.
Singh specifically noted the significant workload handled by the Jammu and Srinagar benches of the CAT. These benches have been instrumental in managing cases transferred from the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir High Court, in addition to fresh cases instituted directly before the tribunal. As of June 30 of the current year, 20,984 cases were transferred from the high court to the CAT benches, while 20,405 new cases were filed directly.
The tribunal has processed a substantial number of these cases. The minister stated that 18,392 cases from the transferred category and 13,952 cases from the fresh filings have been disposed of by the Jammu and Srinagar benches. This indicates the tribunal’s capacity to manage and resolve a significant portion of the caseload originating from the region’s administrative and service matters.
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