KAT Belagavi bench inaugurated, hold sitting on day 1

The long-pending demand of the people particularly advocates has fulfilled with Karnataka Administrative Tribunal bench having been established in Belagavi that started it's first hearing from the first day of its establishment here on Monday.

Advocates from the region particularly from Belagavi had staged various agitations including hunger strike pitching for the establishment of the KAT Bench here. Subsequently, the state government headed by the then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in 2015 had decided to establish KAT benches both at Belagavi and at Kalaburgi. But, three years later the bench has realised for the people of the region.

Law and Parliamentary and RDPR minister Krishna Byre Gowda in the absence of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy inaugurated Karnataka Administrative Belagavi Bench that has come up at rented building on Dr BR Ambedkar in Belagavi.

In his inaugural address, Byre Gowda said the state had recommended the centre for the appointment of the members that would enable the bench to continuously hold sittings. Presently two-three members were on rotatory basis we're holding the sittings. We are hopeful that the law and home department would give it's approval for the appointment of five judicial and administrative members for principal and Belagavi and Kalaburgi benches as recommended by state which is expected in January.

The Kalaburgi Bench too will be also inaugurated tentatively in a week he informed. The initiative is as part of the decentralisation efforts of the government. CM was scheduled to do the proceedings of inauguration but following unexpected engagements had to visit Madhya Pradesh for the swearing-in ceremony of new government.

Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal chairman Justice Bhaktavatsala expressed disappointment that the bench in Bengaluru was functioning in a rented house since three decades which had also continued in Belagavi.

However, Bhaktavatsala expressed the establishment of the bench help in early delivery of justice. The Belagavi bench having jurisdiction over Belagavi, Bagalkot, Ballari, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Koppal, and Uttar Kannada where the pendency is 2,644 cases excluding contempt cases.

The pendency before Kalaburgi Bench is 1506 cases and contempt cases while total pendency before KSAT is 13,428 cases. MLA Anil Benake on the occasion demanded that State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission circuit bench be established in Belagavi. He also urged withdrawal of cases booked against advocates who fought for the establishment of bench.

MLA Ganesh Hukkeri, Judicial member A V Chandrashekhar, Administrative member VP Baligar, Chief Secretary T N Vijay Bhaskar, Principal and District Session Judge Satish Singh, district judges, Deputy Commissioner S B Bommanalli, advocates were present.