HC: Is the Finance Minister sleeping?

The Bombay High Court on Monday rapped the Union government for not allotting alternative space for the city-based Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT), which is lying defunct. The enraged HC asked if the nation's finance minister was "sleeping" all these days, as the DRT office, which deals with the country's financial institutions, has been defunct for over a month now.

A division bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Riyaz Chagla noted the fact that the DRT, which was functioning from Scindia House, in Ballard Estate of south Mumbai, has been shut since June 2, after a fire broke out in the building.

Justice Oka said, "The DRT, a key institution is non-functional in this financial capital city. Is the finance minister of the country sleeping? "

The bench was hearing a plea filed by the DRT bar Association seeking directions to the Union government to allot another space for the body to operate. The association has highlighted the "limited" space of hardly two halls from which the DRT is compelled to function. The association has accordingly sought a new premises for housing the DRT.

Irked over the "state of affairs" of the DRT, Justice Oka said, "We fail to understand as to why the government is not doing anything in this issue. The government should instead act on its own and not wait for this court's orders."

Posting the matter for further hearing on July 25, the bench directed the Union government to identify new premises for the DRT and spell out the same in an affidavit. The DRT deals with debt-recovery cases involving banks, financial institutions and their customers.