Centre Clears Appointment Of Presiding Officers In 18 Debt Recovery Tribunals
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Department of Financial Services for appointment of Presiding Officers into 18 Debts Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) across India. The appointments have been made at a pay level of Rs. 1,44,200 to Rs. 2,18 200 per month for a period of four years or till attaining the age of seventy years, or until further orders, whichever...
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Department of Financial Services for appointment of Presiding Officers into 18 Debts Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) across India.
The appointments have been made at a pay level of Rs. 1,44,200 to Rs. 2,18 200 per month for a period of four years or till attaining the age of seventy years, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest.
The appointments are as follows:
- DRT, Jabalpur: Ram Niwas Patel, Retd District Judge (Madhya Pradesh Judicial Service)
- DRT, Hyderabad-1: Gummadi Gopichand, Retd District Judge (Andhra Pradesh Judicial Service)
- DRT, Chennai-1: AS Jayachandra. Retd District Judge (Delhi Higher Judicial Service)
- DRT, Chandigarh-1: Anand Sagar Narang, Retd District Judge (HCS Judicial Branch)
- DRT Delhi-1: Basant Kumar Goswami. Retd District Judge (Superior Judicial Service Jharkhand)
- DRT, Chandigarh-2: Man Mohan Dhonchak, Retd District Judge (Judicial Department, Punjab and Haryana High Court)
- DRT Delhi-2: Rajesh Malhotra District Judge (Haryana Superior Judicial Service)
- DRT, Cuttack: Jitendra Prasad Singh, Retd District Judge (Bihar Judicial Service)
- DRT, Guwahati: Shiv Sharan Dubey, Retd Principal and District Sessions Judge (Jharkhand Judicial Service)
- DRT, Siliguri: Rakesh Pat Tiwan Retd District Judge (Bihar Judicial Service)
- DRT, Ernakulam-1: Su Willyahm Retd District Judge (Tamil Nadu State Judicial Service)
- DRT, Ahmedabad-1: Padam Singh Thakur Retd District Judge (HP Higher Judicial Service)
- DRT, Hyderabad-2: Dr Baldev Singh, Registrar (Vigilance) High Court of Himachal Pradesh.
- DRT, Mumbai-3: Arun Kumar Singal District Judge (Haryana Judicial Service)
- DRT, Bengaluru-1: Imtiaz Ali, District & Sessions Judge (Assam Judicial Service)
- DRT Madurai: Kuldip Kumar Kareer Retd District Judge (Punjab Superior Service)
- DRT, Vishakhapatnam: Krishna Gopal Dwivedi. Retd District Judge (Bihar Judicial Service)
- DRT, Ernakulam-2: Sovan Kumar Dash, Retd District Judge (Odisha Judicial Service)
The Supreme Court and various High Courts have been criticising the Central Government for not filling up the DRT vacancies.
It may be noted that the Supreme Court has taken note of the alarming situation of many DRTs and DRATS remaining non-functional across the country due to unfilled vacancies. In view of this situation, the Supreme Court had passed an order in December 2021 urging High Courts to entertain debts recovery and SARFAESI matters under Article 226 if DRTs/DRATs are not functional in the jurisdiction.
Last week, the Bombay High Court had observed that it will summon the Finance Secretary if the DRAT Chairperson is not appointed by February 21.
Similarly, in a strongly worded order, the Allahabad High Court last week lashed out at Central Government for its failure to make appointments to the vacant posts of Presiding Officer/Chairman of Debt Recovery Tribunals and Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunals. The Kerala High Court had also observed recently that the Central Government was showing scant regard for the litigants by delaying the appointments of DRT Presiding Officers.
Last week, the Central Government cleared the appointments of Chairpersons of 5 Debts Recovery Appellate Tribunals.
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