Central govt. employee asked to approach CAT

MADURAI

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed a Central government employee to approach the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) to resolve a service dispute. The court said when a forum was earmarked to address the issue it could not be bypassed.

Stating that the petitioner should have approached the CAT first, Justice R. Suresh Kumar said the petition was not maintainable. The court was hearing the plea filed by A. Maheswari, an employee of Zirconium Complex of Nuclear Fuel Complex in Thoothukudi, against whom disciplinary proceedings were initiated. The petitioner sought to quash the proceedings.

The Nuclear Fuel Complex comes under the Department of Atomic Energy, especially under the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, one of the organisations included in the list of government organisations or departments for the purpose of jurisdiction to be conferred on the CAT under the provisions of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, the court said.

The petitioner could argue the issue on merits before the CAT, the judge said.