State to decide on giving accommodation to Tribunal members

Maharashtra government has told the Bombay High Court that it would soon take a policy decision on providing accommodation to the members of the Sales Tax Tribunal.
Government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani also told a bench headed by Chief Justice Mohit Shah that the state would fill up vacancies in the Tribunal by January 31 next year.
By January 31, 2014, the state would also take a decision on raising the retirement age of judicial members of the Sales Tax Tribunal from 58 years to 62 years, he said.
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 measures to clear pendency of cases, which is over 4,000 at present.

"Instead of Tribunal members making a request to you (state) for accommodation, you should offer them," said the High Court.
The Court had earlier remarked that in the absence of accommodation, members of the Tribunal either do not join duty in Mumbai after getting appointed or leave soon after.

The government pleader said that as far as vacancies were concerned, a proposal was under consideration of Law and Judiciary department.
He also requested the court to suggest the names of possible candidates.
The bench had advised the state earlier to consider giving accommodation to members of every Tribunal. Lack of accomodation was the reason many people were unwilling to serve on the Sales Tax Tribunal, according to the petitioner.

The total strength of the Tribunal is president plus nine members but currently it has only president and three members.