Rationing the appellate tribunals

Merging tribunals may lead to administrative convenience, but pendency of cases is likely to rise

When the regulator for the downstream petroleum sector was set up in 2006, a suggestion from the ministry of finance to have a common appellate tribunal for power and petroleum was incorporated in the enabling legislation. Subsequently in 2014 and then again in 2015, the jurisdiction of the Securities Appellate Tribunal was widened to include appeals against orders passed by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority. The underlying theme for such integration has been taken forward in a much sweeping manner by the government through amendments in the Finance Bill, 2017.