DRT Bar Assn, Chandigarh, stays off work, seeks regular presiding officers

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, October 8

Members of the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) Bar Association, Chandigarh, have decided not to attend the work of the tribunal in protest against the failure of the government to appoint regular presiding officers for all three Benches of the tribunal.

President of the association KPS Dhillon said it had taken the decision after it failed to get any response from the government and various authorities despite sending representations to them. In a representation sent to the Minister of Finance, Government of India, the association has said there is no regular presiding officer for the past nearly two years in DRT – I, II and III in Chandigarh.

The Ministry of Finance has given the additional charge of the three Benches to the presiding officers of Bengaluru and Jaipur till September 30, 2021, when they fell vacant but no further order regarding the extension of additional charge has been issued so far.

Because of this, all posts of presiding officers in Chandigarh are lying vacant since October 1, 2021. Dhillon said the litigants were facing problems to get justice on account of actions of banks/ financial institutions and the recovery process of banks is also stalled as no proceedings are being carried out due to unavailability of presiding officers at the DRT in Chandigarh.

Dhillon said the members of the association did not attend the work for the past two days. Their decision not to attend the work will remain in force till the government takes a decision on their demands. Dhillon also said there was no proper space to hold the courts of the presiding officers, recovery officers and registrars in Chandigarh, and all courts were being held in small cabins which are just like rooms of some small office. There is no proper ventilation in the courtrooms and there is no adequate space for lawyers as well as litigants to sit in the so-called court rooms.