HC asks Centre to take steps to appoint members to KAT

The Karnataka High Court has asked the Centre to take positive steps to appoint members to the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT) and inform the court in the next hearing.

The court was hearing a PIL, seeking filling up of judicial and administrative vacancies in KAT which now functions at Bengaluru, Belagavi and Kalaburagi.

The petition has been filed by K Sathish Bhat, who has stated that the post of chairman and one post of judicial as well as administrative member were occupied, but the remaining three posts of judicial members as well as four posts of administrative members were lying vacant.

He has contended that there were more than 14,838 cases pending before KAT as on December 31, 2018 and the present strength was not adequate to attend to them.

The government's counsel submitted that three names have been recommended to the central government in September 2018.

The court observed that no action has been taken by the central government for the past eight months in this regard.

It directed the Centre to take positive steps towards appointing the members to KAT before June 11 and inform the same. Failing this, the court may have to ask the secretary, department of personnel and training to be present before the court, it said.