Jammu, September 20: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday inaugurated the new office-cum-court complex of the Central Administrative Tribunal Jammu Bench (CAT) at Bahu Plaza in Jammu. He said the bench’s disposal of service cases is among the highest in the country.
Singh, who is Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions among his other portfolios, said the numbers from the Jammu and Srinagar benches show the capacity the tribunal has built to give speedy and accessible justice in service matters.
Case numbers
Up to 30 June 2026, the Jammu and Srinagar benches had received 20,984 cases transferred from the Jammu & Kashmir High Court and 20,405 fresh cases, 41,389 in all. Singh said they have disposed of 18,392 of the transferred cases and 13,952 of the fresh ones.
Across the country, 10,01,177 cases have been filed before CAT since it was set up, and 9,32,723 of them have been disposed of, a disposal rate of about 93.16 per cent, according to the figures he cited for the period up to 30 June 2026.
Singh also pointed to the low rate of appeals. Only around 8 per cent of the Jammu Bench’s cases have gone to the Jammu & Kashmir High Court in appeal. He said appeals have their place, but repeated recourse to further litigation can add another layer and delay the speedy justice the tribunal exists to give. The ideal, he said, would be a situation with no room left for an appeal, and he invited the legal fraternity to send in suggestions.
What CAT offers government employees
CAT was set up in 1985 under the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 to give government employees speedy and affordable justice in service matters and to reduce the burden on constitutional courts. Singh said filing an Original Application costs ₹50, and no fee is charged for Miscellaneous Applications, Review Applications, Contempt Petitions and others.
Bench strength, buildings and technology
The Jammu Bench began with one Division Bench and later got a second as its workload grew. It now has two Judicial Members and two Administrative Members. Singh said the new complex gives it more space and the infrastructure to work at full capacity. He thanked the legal fraternity in Jammu and the Government of Jammu & Kashmir for their support in setting it up.
He said CAT has been building independent premises at other locations as well. The Jabalpur Bench was established in 2021, the Mumbai Bench has moved from rented space into a government building, and new facilities have been set up at Lucknow and Guwahati.
On technology, Singh listed the digital facilities CAT has introduced: the Advance Case Information System (ACIS), e-filing, video conferencing, online display boards, SMS and email alerts, online payment of court fees, mobile access to case information, online certified copies, advanced search, e-mentioning and e-listing. Video conferencing kept the Jammu Bench working during the Covid-19 period, he said. Judicial records have been digitised, and e-Court and paperless court facilities have been introduced.
Officers posted to CAT, including those from different departments and state governments, are given online training through the Mission Karmayogi platform, he added.
Related: Jitendra Singh calls for tech-driven training in governance at IIPA Council Meet
Source: Press Information Bureau release, 20 September 2026: CAT Jammu Bench’s Disposal of Service Cases Among the Highest in the Country: Dr. Jitendra Singh.