Supreme Court Extends Tenure Of DRAT Allahabad Chairman, Seeks Union's Action Plan On Tribunals

The Supreme Court today extended the tenure of the Chairperson of the Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal(DRAT), Allahabad. The Court also asked the Union to submit a proposal in compliance with the directions in the Madras Bar Association case in 4 weeks.

The bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi was hearing the application filed by the President of the DRAT Bar Association, Allahabad, Mr Shalinder Kumar Pandey.

The President of the DRAT Bar Association, Allahabad, had filed the application seeking the extension of the Chairperson's tenure, which is due to expire on February 17, 2026. Presently, Justice Rajesh Dayal Khare is serving as the DRAT Chairman.

Advocate Aditya Kumar Choudhary, appearing for the applicant, mainly contended that DRAT Allahabad exercises appellate jurisdiction over multiple Debts Recovery Tribunals across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Jharkhand, and any vacancy would deprive litigants, financial institutions and borrowers of their statutory right of appeal.

The applicant sought a limited and temporary relief for the continuation of the incumbent Chairperson till a regularly appointed Chairperson assumes charge so as to prevent an adjudicatory vacuum.

Attorney General for India R Venkataramani appeared for the Union.

The CJI remarked on the need for the Union to come up with a policy/ legislation for ensuring uniform service conditions across various tribunals, in order to ensure administrative efficiency.

" You think of bringing a uniform proposal which will apply to all tribunals within 4 weeks or so. For the time, let some retired person be there, if he is working, let him continue as an ad hoc...let us have a holistic view."

The AG agreed and added that a 'one size fits all' approach was needed to tackle the issue of tribunal administration.

The bench proceeded to extend the tenure of DRAT Allahabad for further order and asked the Union to submit its proposal on a uniform solution for appointments to Tribunals

" Ld AG, representing the Union, seeks and is granted 4 weeks time to meanwhile take a holistic view with respect to the functioning, conditions of service of various Tribunals constituted under different statutes. Till such proposal is put before this court, let Justice Rajesh Dayal Khare, Chairman, be allowed to continue till further orders."

The CJI also stressed that it was incumbent for the Union to now comply with the recent decision in the Madras Bar Association case, in which it struck down the Tribunal Reforms Act, 2021.

In the said decision, the Court also directed the Union Government to constitute a National Tribunals Commission (NTC) within four months, underscoring that the executive has a constitutional obligation to set up the body as repeatedly mandated in earlier judgments.

Case Details : MADRAS BAR ASSOCIATION Versus UNION OF INDIA| Diary No. 4420-2026