Jammu Aug 12: Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Jammu Bench has stopped the salary of Chief Conservator of Forest with immediate effect for non-filing of replies in three different matters thereby leading to unnecessary delay in giving justice to the litigants.
The cases titled Pawan Singh Versus Department of Forests, Surinder Kumar Trisal Versus Commissioner/ Secretary to Government, General Administration Department and Ashish Mahajan Versus Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment were listed before the CAT a number of times and enough opportunities were given to the respondents for filing the replies.
In the last orders in all these cases, it was specifically mentioned by the CAT that in case the replies were not filed then the erring officer shall remain present before the court with the explanation. But there was no compliance till date.
Taking serious note of this, the CAT Judicial Member Rajinder Singh Dogra has passed the harsh orders of stopping the salary of Chief Conservator of Forest Satpal and concerned Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) has been directed to ensure that the salary of the officer remains stopped till further orders.
The CAT has also directed the Commissioner Secretary of the Forest Department to initiate an enquiry against the Chief Conservator of Forest as to why the replies have not been filed and why he made misleading statements before the court and then take strict action against the officer.
“Non-filing of the reply by the respondents leads to unnecessary delay in giving justice to the litigants and justice delayed is justice denied”, the CAT said, adding “the poor litigants who have no access to the administration knock the door of the CAT with the hope that they will get timely justice but due to lackadaisical approach of the respondents the litigants suffer”.