The Bombay High Court today rapped Maharashtra Government for not providing accommodation to the members of the Sales Tax Tribunal and gave the state four weeks' time to take a policy decision on this issue.
In the absence of accommodation, members of the Tribunal either do not resume duty in Mumbai after getting appointed or leave soon after joining the job resulting in pendency of cases, said a bench headed by Chief Justice Mohit Shah.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Sales Tax Tribunal Lawyers Association praying for accommodation for the Tribunal members. The association also pleaded for doing away with the pendency of cases which was over 4,000 at present.
The government pleader prayed for four weeks' time to enable the state to take a policy decision on the issue. He said such a proposal was pending before the Chief Minister.
As the pleader took time to enable the state to take a policy decision, the bench expressed its anguish over the issue and asked how many such Tribunals have not been provided houses for its members in Maharashtra?
The bench also advised the state to consider giving houses to members of all tribunals and not just Sales Tax Tribunal.
The association contended that the members quit the Tribunal as they were not given houses. In one such instance, it said, a member was transferred from Nagpur to Mumbai but he quit job recently as accommodation was not provided to him.
Another member, Avinash Bhojirkar, was appointed in his place but due to lack of accommodation he has not joined duty so far, the association submitted.
The total strength of the Tribunal was one president and nine members. However, currently, the president and three members were functioning. The rest of the seats were vacant, the association said.
The court had earlier directed the state to decide on providing accommodation to the Tribunal members.
The matter has been posted for further hearing on November 26.
