State gets down to setting up tribunal opposed by lawyers

Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 16

Decks have been cleared for the setting up of the Haryana Administrative Tribunal (HAT) with the state government setting up a four-member committee for selecting members of the tribunal.

The constitution of the committee assumes importance in the wake of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association today deferring the work suspension, aimed at protesting against the setting up of the HAT for adjudicating service matters involving state government employees.

To be headed by Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, the selection committee will comprise Chief Secretary, Haryana Government, chairperson of HAT and Chairman of the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) as its members.

“The selection committee will devise its own procedure or lay down guidelines for inviting applications and for the selection of the members of HAT as per provisions of the Administrative Tribunals (procedure for appointment of members) Rules, 2011,” a notification issued by the Haryana Government said, adding that the recommendations of the selection committee would be submitted with the approval of the Haryana Governor.

Justice Sneh Parashar, a former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, has already been appointed the chairperson of the newly constituted tribunal by the Central Government.

On the request of the Haryana Government, the Central Government had set up the tribunal on July 24 with a view to providing speedy redressal to employees’ grievances and reduce pendency of service matters in the high court.

However, the constitution of the tribunal sparked off an indefinite protest by members of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association on July 25.

In the wake of the protest by the Bar association, the Haryana Government on August 13 formed a committee under state Chief Secretary with Chairman, Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, President and Honorary Secretary, Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association, a nominee of Advocate General, and representatives of the employees to look into the feasibility of the setting up of the administrative tribunal.

Chief Justice to head selection panel 

The Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court will head the selection committee of the tribunal. The panel will also comprise Chief Secretary, Haryana, Chairperson of Haryana Administrative Tribunal and Chairman of the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) as members.