Decision to Abolish Odisha SAT Upheld by Supreme Court

New Delhi: Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the decision of the Orissa High Court regarding the Centre’s notification for the abolition of the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT).

A petition filed by the Odisha Administrative Tribunal Bar Association challenging the Orissa High Court’s decision upholding the abolition of the tribunal was dismissed by a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli.

Through a gazette notification, the Centre on August 2, 2019, abolished the Odisha State Administrative Tribunal (SAT). The Union Government abolished the SAT under Section- 4 (2) of the Administrative Tribunal Act 1985 and Section-21 of the General Clauses Act.

The Odisha SAT Bar Association had challenged the Centre’s notification in Orissa High Court. The SAT Bar Association had claimed that over 50,000 cases are pending in the SAT for disposal and hence the notification should be scrapped. But Orissa High Court refused to pass any stay order on the abolishment order and had held that the Centre’s notification was valid. Against this High Court decision, the SAT Bar Association had moved Supreme Court.

Odisha SAT was set up on July 14, 1986. Odisha Cabinet decided to abolish it in September 2015. Following the recommendation of the High Court, the Centre abolished the tribunal.