Lucknow, Apr 14 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday praised the functioning of the Central Administrative Tribunal’s (CAT) Lucknow bench, highlighting that it disposed of over 6,000 cases out of 6,708 filed between 2014 and 2024.

He called for accelerating this pace further to provide timely justice to government personnel.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the newly constructed office building of CAT’s Lucknow bench, the chief minister said, “It is a matter of pride that on the birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar, a towering architect of our Constitution and champion of justice for the marginalised, we are dedicating this important judicial institution to the public.” Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh, Adityanath explained that tribunals play a crucial role in offloading pending matters from the regular courts.

“The aim behind setting up tribunals is to ensure that pending service-related cases do not consume unnecessary court time and instead are handled in a specialised and time-bound manner. This enables the affected personnel to receive justice without long delays,” he said.

He also underlined the importance of resources for judicial institutions.

“Whether it is a circuit bench or a full bench, it cannot function proactively unless it is adequately resourced,” the CM said.

The new CAT office will cater to 16 districts in the region, providing a vital platform for timely justice, he said.

Emphasising the importance of accessible justice for all citizens and government employees, Adityanath said, “A democracy’s credibility rests on the ability of a common person or employee to access a fair hearing and resolution. If justice is delayed for years, it becomes a mockery of the system.” Recalling a personal legal battle tied to the Gorakhnath Math, the chief minister shared, “A land-related case linked to our Math went on from 1956 till the Supreme Court’s verdict in 1997. I was the third generation affected by the case. This example shows how delayed justice stretches across generations.” He pointed out that government employees often suffer long-drawn cases that extend beyond their service tenure. “Imagine the toll it takes on them and their families,” he remarked.

Highlighting the effective resolution of revenue-related disputes, Adityanath said when he took office in 2017, UP had over 33 lakh pending land-related cases.

“We categorised them into timelines — 30, 60 days, etc — and directed officials to resolve them accordingly. If they failed to do so, the decision would be presumed in favour of the appellant and the responsible officer would be held accountable,” he said.

He claimed that due to this approach, while 10 lakh new cases were filed in the last decade, over 34 lakh cases were resolved in a time-bound manner.

“This not only helped reduce administrative burden but also curbed the culture of delay,” he noted.

Referring to CAT’s success, Adityanath said, “Disposing of 6,000 out of 6,708 cases over 10 years is commendable but many of these can be resolved even faster if both parties are simply brought face-to-face.” Thanking Union minister Jitendra Singh for attending the inauguration, Adityanath said, “Despite his responsibilities in Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir, and handling personnel matters across India, he has taken time to be here. His Lok Sabha constituency is so large that it could contain five average-sized parliamentary constituencies.” Concluding his address, the chief minister assured CAT officials of the state government’s full cooperation.

“You will always find positive support from the UP government in discharging your duties. I extend my best wishes to all of you,” he said. PTI KIS KSS KSS