SAT reinstatement to take 6 months as formalities pending

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Shimla, November 29

The reinstatement of the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) can take another four to six months as it may take some more time to constitute a search and selection committee and complete formalities.

The Department of Personnel is working out modalities after the Cabinet on November 18 ave nod to reinstating SAT. The selection of the chairman and the three members — two administrative and one judicial — of SAT could take some time due to amendments made to the Act.

The government is reinstating SAT because the Congress had in its manifesto for the last Assembly elections promised to do so. The selection of the chairman and the members of SAT will be done under the Tribunal Reforms Act and the Tribunal Condition of Service Rules, 2021. While the chairman will be appointed for a four-year term or till the age of 70 years, the members will have a term of four years or till the age of 67 years, whichever is earlier.

The Chief Justice of the Himachal High Court will be the chairman of the search and selection committee while the Chief Secretary and the Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission will be its members. The Secretary (Personnel) will be its member secretary.

The search and selection committee will forward a panel of shortlisted names to the Union Ministry of Personnel. It is the Cabinet Committee on Appointments that will finalise the names of the chairman and the Members from the panel. The Union Government has already given in-principal approval for the reinstatement of SAT.

On July 3, 2019, the previous BJP government had scrapped SAT. Himachal was amongst one of the first states in the country to set up SAT way back in 1986 and since then BJP governments had disbanded it twice. SAT was set up during the Congress government headed by Virbhadra Singh to address the grievances and issues of government employees, who are over 2.50 lakh in strength now.

SAT was wound up for the first time on July 2008 during the BJP government headed by Chief Minister PK Dhumal. Later, on assuming power, the Virbhadra Singh government reinstated it on February 28, 2015, to fulfil an election promise.

Disbanded twice by BJP govts

• The previous BJP government had scrapped SAT on July 3, 2019
• Himachal was amongst one of the first states in the country to set up SAT way back in 1986
• The BJP governments had disbanded the tribunal twice
• SAT was set up during the Congress government headed by Virbhadra Singh to address the grievances and issues of its employees, who are over 2.50 lakh in strength now