Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the new Office-cum-Court Complex of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Jammu Bench at Bahu Plaza, Jammu, highlighting the tribunal's exceptional performance in case disposal. The CAT was established in 1985 under the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, with the primary objectives of providing speedy and affordable justice in service matters concerning government employees while reducing the burden on constitutional courts.
As of June 30, 2026, the CAT Jammu and Srinagar Benches have handled a total of 41,389 cases, comprising 20,984 cases transferred from the Jammu & Kashmir High Court and 20,405 fresh cases directly instituted before the tribunal. The benches have disposed of 18,392 cases from the transferred category and 13,952 fresh cases, resulting in minimal pendency of only 9,452 cases. This represents a disposal rate of approximately 93.16% across all CAT benches nationwide, where 9,32,723 out of 10,01,177 total cases filed since inception have been resolved.
The Jammu Bench initially functioned with one Division Bench but was strengthened with an additional Division Bench due to growing workload, currently operating with two Judicial Members and two Administrative Members. A significant achievement noted was that only approximately 8% of cases from the CAT Jammu Bench have gone in appeal to the Jammu & Kashmir High Court, reflecting strong adherence to the tribunal's objective of providing conclusive speedy justice.
The new infrastructure at Bahu Plaza will provide expanded space and requisite facilities for the Jammu Bench to function at full capacity. The tribunal has progressively implemented digital facilities including Advance Case Information System (ACIS), e-filing, video conferencing, online display boards, SMS and email alerts, online payment of court fees, mobile-based case information access, online certified copies, advanced search facilities, e-mentioning and e-listing. Video conferencing proved particularly valuable during COVID-19, enabling continuous operations, and the tribunal has undertaken digitization of judicial records with e-Court and paperless court facilities.
Officers posted in CAT receive online training through the Mission Karmayogi platform to equip them with necessary knowledge and skills. The government is making sustained efforts to strengthen CAT's institutional capacity by adopting technological tools and facilities available to constitutional courts within the tribunal system. The filing fee structure remains accessible with ₹50 for Original Applications and no fee for Miscellaneous Applications, Review Applications, and Contempt Petitions.