Vijayawada CAT bench disposes 1,420 cases in debut year

Vijayawada: The Central Administrative Tribunal's (CAT) Vijayawada Circuit Bench cleared 1420 pending service matters in its first year of operations. Compared to the overall pendency of cases a year ago, the circuit bench of CAT achieved a 28% reduction in the backlog since it started functioning on Feb17, 2025.The bench, which conducts week-long sittings every month, recorded a disposal efficiency of 146% over 50 sitting days, with disposals exceeding fresh filings during the period. While the bench disposed 1420 cases, the number of new filings stood at 967. The current pendency with the CAT circuit bench is 1174, compared to 1627 cases a year ago.Set up to address a long-pending demand for a local bench for central govt employees and pensioners in Andhra Pradesh, the circuit bench currently operates from rented premises in Vijayawada. Officials said the availability of the bench in Vijayawada reduced the need for litigants to travel to Hyderabad, saving time and cost while improving access to judicial remedies.The bench comprises judicial member Dr Lata Baswaraj Patne and administrative members VSK Kaumudi, IPS (retd), and Shalini Mishra (IAS). The CAT members, in a statement on Tuesday marking the completion of 1 year of the bench, said that the collective efforts of advocates, govt counsels, applicants, and members contributed to the improved disposal rate.Looking ahead, the Andhra Pradesh govt started the process of allotting land or office accommodation in Amaravati for establishing a permanent CAT Bench. Coordination with CRDA is underway. The proposed permanent bench is expected to enable regular sittings and enhance disposal capacity within the state. CAT officials said the first year's performance demonstrated measurable improvement in service-related justice delivery and reaffirmed the tribunal's commitment to speedy adjudication.