Timely replies

In a significant decision, the UT administration has decided to expedite the process of vetting and filing of replies in the cases pertaining to different government departments to avert any delay in filing the same before courts and forums.The move is aimed at the early disposal of all pending cases relating to atleast 37 government-run departments and institutions and to bring an end to the red tape in the offices. For the purpose, the government has appointed seven senior officers, comprising special secretaries to closely supervise and monitor the vetting of replies to be drafted by the law department and they would ensure that replies in all pending cases of their allocated departments are filed within a period of 45 days. To ensure the accountability of these officers, the government has asked them to submit weekly reports to the secretary, department of law, justice and parliamentary affairs. A large number of cases were still pending in different courts and forums due to the failure of the concerned department to make a timely reply.It was decided that all objections were to be vetted by the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, it is necessary that a uniform mechanism be followed by all the Law Officers posted in different Departments so as to avoid any delay inThe matter has been viewed seriously and the need was felt to put a centralized mechanism for vetting of objections and effectively projecting the stand of the government before different Courts and Forums. The decision will ensure submission of timely, well-considered and replies of the government departments, heads of departments and organizations, bodies and societies before respective adjudicating forums. The officers immediately after receiving the copy of any petition, suit and application filed against the government departments or organizations would, in light of the relevant records, draft the objections.Accordingly, the Law Department has appointed three special secretaries, Abdul Rashid Fayaz, Manoj Kumar Pandit and Qureshi Tariq Mehmood, three additional secretaries, Ashish Gupta, Khursheed Ahmad Bhat and Sajad Un Nabi Gashroo and two Legal Remembrancers Shafiq Hussain Mircha and Reyaz Ali Bhat to deal with, supervise and monitor the vetting and filing of replies cases pertaining to 37 departments. The law officers deployed in different government departments have been directed to cooperate with these officers and ensure that replies are sent as per earlier guidelines issued by the department of law, justice and parliamentary affairs in a time bound manner.