Himachal gets nod to revive complaints tribunal

Himachal Pradesh has got the nod from the central government to revive a tribunal that hears complaints of state government employees, an official said here Wednesday.

The previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government abolished the tribunal in 2008.

"The ministry of personnel has agreed in principle to establish an administrative tribunal in the state at Shimla under the provisions of the Administrative Tribunal Act of 1985," Principal Secretary (Personnel) S.K.B.S. Negi said in a statement.

He said the tribunal would have two administrative members and one judicial member.

When the tribunal was abolished from July 8, 2008, the Congress, then in opposition, criticised the government.

"The main reason for the abolition of the administrative tribunal was that Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal was annoyed by a large number of stays given by the tribunal to government employees," Virbhadra Singh, now chief minister, had said.

At that time, more than 20,000 cases were pending with the tribunal.

In its election manifesto in 2012, the Congress had promised that it would revive the tribunal.