SC Upholds Abolition of Odisha Administrative Tribunal

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the abolition of the Odisha Administrative Tribunal (OAT) by the Central Government.

A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud rejected the challenge to the decision by the OAT Bar Association.

The Odisha Administrative Tribunal Bar Association has challenged the Orissa High Court’s decision which upheld the abolition of OAT. The Central Government 2019 issued a notification to abolish the Odisha Administrative Tribunal

“We hold that abolition of Orissa Administrative Tribunal (OAT) was constitutionally valid. Article 323A (dealing with Administrative tribunals) does not preclude the Union of India to abolish state administrative tribunals. The decision to abolish the tribunal is not violative of Article 14 of the Constitution,” the Supreme Court said.

“Central government was correct to invoke Section 21 of General Clauses Act to rescind the decision to set up the tribunal. Decision to abolish the tribunal is not violative of Article 14 of the Constitution,” it added.

Notably, the Odisha Government had decided to abolish the Odisha Administrative Tribunal in 2015 after it felt that the very objective of the institution to give quick justice to employees could not be achieved.

The State Government had moved the Centre seeking its nod for executing its decision.