New Delhi– The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended the tenure of the chairperson of Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) by three months and queried the Centre why tribunal members were not appointed since October 2019.
The chairperson’s tenure was scheduled to end on April 20.
A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices S.K. Kaul and Deepak Gupta, through video conferencing, queried the Centre on the functioning of the tribunal, as the chairperson tenure will come to an end on April 20.
Former apex court judge Justice Shiva Kirti Singh is the incumbent chairperson of TDSAT.
“How can the tribunal function like this?” asked the top court observing the tribunals are alternatives to the judicial system.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, contended before the bench that he would take instructions from the government on the appointments in the TDSAT. “We express our concern regarding appointments of Administrative Member(s) and Technical Member(s) not being made after they have fallen vacant long back. We extend the tenure of the chairperson of the TDAT for a period of three months from the date of expiry”, said the top court.
The court will hear the matter in the first week of May.
The court observed that in the meantime the Solicitor General will take instructions regarding the steps being taken for the appointment of the members of the TDSAT. (IANS)
