CAT stays order on MES cadre review

CHANDIGARH:The Chandigarh Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has stayed the orders of the Ministry of Defence to put on hold the implementation of the Military Engineer Service’s (MES) barrack and store cadre review and withdraw consequential benefits heretofore granted to the personnel concerned.

Tribune news Service

Chandigarh, September 28

The Chandigarh Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has stayed the orders of the Ministry of Defence to put on hold the implementation of the Military Engineer Service’s (MES) barrack and store cadre review and withdraw consequential benefits heretofore granted to the personnel concerned.

It was pleaded before the Bench that keeping the implementation of the cadre review in abeyance was illegal and recovery of excess payment made thereof without issuing any show-cause notice violated the principles of natural justice.

The cadre review had kicked up a controversy earlier this year after barrack and store personnel were upgraded to Group-A status while technical cadres such as engineers and architects continued to remain in Group B. Several representations were sent to the Ministry of Defence and Army Headquarters by technical cadre personnel.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had pointed out several procedural irregularities and infirmities in the review process, based upon which the MoD had earlier this month cancelled the implementation of the cadre review and directed that benefits granted to the cadre, if any, were to be withdrawn.

Pointing out that the cadre review was implemented without approval of the competent authority and it had implications for other Group-A services and court cases, the DoPT had recommended that Directing the Engineer-in-Chief’s Branch at Army Headquarters to revisit the necessity of the cadre review and resubmit the proposal in accordance with stipulated guidelines on the subject.