Supreme Court Probes Finance Ministry Over Debt Recovery Tribunal Vacancies

The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Ministry of Finance regarding a PIL that highlights significant vacancies in Debt Recovery Tribunals across India. Nearly one-third of these tribunals are non-functional, impacting banks' debt recovery processes. The PIL seeks timely appointments to ensure tribunals' efficient functioning.

The Supreme Court on Monday intervened, issuing notices to the Ministry of Finance in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) that underscores pressing vacancies within India's Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs). The bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, reviewed submissions from Sudarshan Rajan, representing PIL petitioner Nischay Chaudhary, calling for the Ministry's prompt action.

The PIL details a troubling circumstance where nearly one-third of the 39 DRTs are inoperative due to the lack of Presiding Officers. This shortfall hampers the tribunals' fundamental role in expediting debt recovery for banks and financial institutions, as envisioned under the Recovery of Dues to Banks and Financial Institutions Act of 1993.

Invoking Articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution, the petition stresses the right to speedy justice and calls for directives to fill vacant positions expeditiously. It also requests the interim measure of assigning non-functional tribunals' powers to operational ones to maintain service continuity.

(With inputs from agencies.)