The Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT) could not function to its full strength because of the long-pending vacancy of administrative members, tribunal chairman Justice A V Srinivasa Reddy said on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference in Bangalore, Justice Srinivasa Reddy said two administrative members - P Kotilingangoud and T Y Nayaz Ahmed - retired on July 19, 2006 and June 12, 2007 respectively.

No consent
Since then the posts have been left vacant. The State Government has taken steps to fill up vacancies, but the Central Government has not yet given its consent for the proposal, he said.

Justice Reddy said that as per section 5 of the Administrative Tribunals Act 1985, each bench should comprise of at least one judicial member and one administrative member.

Because of the delay in appointment of administrative members, the tribunal could not dispose pending cases. But despite many inconveniences, the tribunal has been clearing cases at a faster pace.

So far 1,69,528 applications had been filed before KAT. Of them 1,84,296 had been disposed, he said.
With that, the percentage of disposal is 87.47.

New building
Justice Reddy said that the tribunal has been demanding space in the central part of Bangalore City.
The state government has agreed to provide 25,000 sq ft at Kandaya Bhavan, being constructed on KG Road.
However, the tribunal has been demanding 5,000 sq ft additional space.

Building
The building is expected to be ready for occupation in 2009.

Once the Tribunal is shifted to the new building from its present office in Indiranagar, litigants, advocates and general public would be benefited, he said.