SC seeks Centre's view on bringing all tribunals under one umbrella

To ensure "efficient functioning" and "streamlining the working" of tribunals, the Supreme Court Wednesday sought to know from the Centre within two weeks its view on bringing all the quasi-judicial bodies under one central umbrella body.

The top court said it would not like to be bogged down with what is right or wrong and all it wants is that "the tribunals work efficiently and independently".

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said it is tentatively of the view that directions given by the apex court in its two verdicts of 1997 and 2010 for bringing all the tribunals of the country under one nodal agency should have been "implemented long back".

"There cannot be any manner of doubt that to ensure the efficient functioning and to streamline the working of tribunals, they should be brought under one agency, as already felt and observed by this Court...

"The Court would like to have benefit of the view of the government of India as on today by means of an affidavit of the competent authority to be filed within two weeks from today," the court said.

The bench, also comprising Justices N V Ramana, D Y Chandrachud, Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, which dealt with vacancies in tribunals, said recommendation of the search-cum-selection committee for the appointment of members in NCLT and NCLAT should be immediately implemented within two weeks. It listed the matter for further hearing after two weeks.

It said: "While every endeavour would be made by the nominee of the Chief Justice who heads the Selection Committee before whom the issue of recommendations may have been pending to expedite the same, such of the recommendations which have already been made by the Search-cum-Selection Committee as is in the case of National Company Law Tribunal and National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, should be immediately implemented by making appointments within the aforesaid period of two weeks and the result thereof be placed before the Court vide affidavit of the competent authority, as ordered to be filed by the present order."