#Administrative Tribunals Act

CAT Mumbai set aside ₹2,14,168 recovery from a Group C railway employee, holding excess pay cannot be recovered without notice and a hearing (Rafiq Masih, Thomas Daniel). It ordered the railway to restore basic pay to ₹87,700 and repay the amount with interest.

The Cuttack Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal ruled that service rendered in the Karnataka-Goa charge from 27 Sept 2012 to 3 Aug 2014 must be credited towards seniority for promotion to Senior Tax Assistant and Income Tax Inspector. This overturns the 1990 CBDT guideline that excluded such service after a compassionate inter-charge transfer, benefiting non-gazetted income-tax officers seeking promotion after moving between charges.

The Allahabad High Court has ruled that the cause of action for seniority in government service emerges solely at the time of regularisation, not at the date of initial appointment or engagement. This clarifies a critical legal threshold for hundreds of daily wage and contractual employees seeking backdated seniority and promotional benefits, overturning dismissal on limitation grounds and mandating fresh adjudication under binding precedent.

Madhya Pradesh High Court rules that service-related claims filed beyond the statutory limitation period under Section 20 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, are barred by laches, even if the promotion was allegedly illegal. The judgment underscores the importance of timely legal recourse for government employees challenging promotions or service disputes.

HP High Court upheld a ₹5 lakh cost on the State for failing to implement a 2016 tribunal order directing retrospective service regularization from 2002 instead of 2006. The court emphasized that final judicial orders cannot be ignored for administrative convenience, setting a precedent for strict enforcement of tribunal directives.

CAT Kolkata reaffirms that review petitions under Order 47 CPC cannot be used to re-agitate the merits of a case or substitute appellate review. Only glaring errors evident on the face of the record justify review, reinforcing procedural finality in service law disputes for retired public servants and government bodies.

CAT Allahabad rules that delay in filing compassionate appointment claims does not automatically bar consideration, directing authorities to decide representations on merits within three months.

Central Administrative Tribunal holds that seniority does not override eligibility criteria for promotion under service rules. Key principles for government employees clarified.

CAT Allahabad holds that employees have an inalienable right to refuse promotion if the order permits it, regardless of domestic hardship or same-division posting.