Circuit sitting at Melongthang allows petitioners to pursue cases without travelling to Jammu; relief granted in several matters.
LEH: The Jammu Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) heard more than 32 cases during a circuit sitting at the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centre, Melongthang, Leh, allowing petitioners from Ladakh to pursue their cases without travelling to Jammu.
The circuit bench, comprising Ram Mohan Johri, Member (Judicial), and Diwakar Singh, Member (Administrative), heard cases pertaining exclusively to applicants and petitioners from the Union Territory of Ladakh. In a number of matters, relief was also granted to aggrieved parties in accordance with law.
The sitting was held as part of the established practice of taking the justice delivery system closer to people in Ladakh, where geographical distance and difficult terrain often make travel to Jammu a considerable burden for litigants.
A large number of advocates, counsels, applicants, petitioners and other stakeholders attended the proceedings at the ADR Centre. The participants appreciated the opportunity to appear before the Tribunal in Leh, which reduced the need for travel, accommodation and other expenses associated with hearings in Jammu.
At the outset, the Tribunal members were accorded a traditional welcome with Khataks by Secretary, Law, Qureshi Tariq Mahmood, along with officials and staff of the Department of Law and Justice, on behalf of the UT Administration.
The proceedings were conducted with coordination among the Bench, Bar, litigants and concerned departments.
The circuit sitting also brought into focus the practical difficulties faced by Ladakh-based litigants in accessing institutions located outside the Union Territory. Holding proceedings in Leh enabled petitioners to present their cases closer to home, saving time and reducing travel-related expenditure.
The administrative arrangements for the sitting were coordinated by the Housing & Protocol Department and the Department of Law and Justice, UT Ladakh, under the supervision and guidance of Qureshi Tariq Mahmood, Consultant/Secretary, Department of Law and Justice.
The CAT members appreciated the arrangements and coordination made by the concerned departments for the smooth conduct of the proceedings and participation of litigants, advocates and other stakeholders.
The Department of Law and Justice said such circuit sittings help bridge the geographical gap between institutions of justice and citizens seeking legal remedies, while making access to justice more convenient and affordable for people in the Union Territory.
It reiterated its commitment to extending institutional and administrative support to judicial and quasi-judicial institutions functioning in Ladakh and facilitating access to justice for residents of the Union Territory.
