3 tribunals forced to work out of tiny cubicles

MUMBAI : Two debt recovery tribunals (DRTS) and the debt recovery appellate tribunal (DRAT) at Mumbai are currently functioning out of makeshift cubicles in a 1,000 square feet space provided by the Punjab National Bank on an ad-hoc basis, the Bombay high court was told on Wednesday.

A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Riyaz Chagla was also told that the premises that were provided were non-exclusive and are also being simultaneously used by the bank.the staff of the tribunals are currently working in two shifts (morning and evening) because of inadequate seating arrangement in the office space, the court was told. The files of the tribunals are still kept in Scindia House, a five-storey building in Ballard Pier, and are required to be brought to PNB House for hearing and are again carried back to the Scindia House, the court was told. The HC was irked to note that the functioning of the DRTS and DRAT in the financial capital of the country has virtually stopped, but no officer of the finance ministry has made any effort to find out alternate premises for the three tribunals.

The judges said the stoppage of functioning of the three tribunals was defeating the very purpose for which DRTS and DRATS have been established - enabling speedy recovery of outstanding dues of banks.

It has directed the central government to provide, at least, temporary alternate place for the three tribunals by August 10, as the 1,000 square feet at PNB House is available for the tribunals only till August 13.