Gujarat Civil Services Tribunal Act, 1972*
| [Gujarat Act No. 2 of 1973] | [13th October, 1980] |
An Act to provide for the constitution of a Civil Services Tribunal for the purpose of securing in a more effective and satisfactory manner the just claims and interests of the servants of Government and Panchayats holding non-Gazetted posts, with respect to certain matters affecting their rights and to provide for matters connected therewith.
It is hereby enacted in the Twenty-third year of the Republic of India as follows:-
* Received the Assent of the Governor on the 13th October, 1980 is hereby published for general information.
1. Short title, extent and commencement.- (1) This Act may be called the Gujarat Civil Services Tribunal Act, 1972.
(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Gujarat.
(3) It shall come into force at once
2. Definitions.- In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-
(a) "law" means any law regulating the recruitment and conditions of service of persons appointed to civil services and posts under the State, or to Panchayat Service and matters connected therewith and includes any notification, order, rule, regulation, or instruction or direction issued or followed for such purpose;
(b) "non-gazetted posts" means posts other than posts declared or known as gazetted posts under any law;
(c) "notified order" means an order published in the Official Gazette;
(d) "Panchayat Service" means the Panchayat Service as constituted under section 203 of the Gujarat Panchayats Act, 1961 (VI of 1962).
(e) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(f) "President" means the President of the Tribunal;
(g) "Schedule" weans the Schedule appended to this Act;
(h) "specified civil servants" means members of the civil services of the State holding non-gazetted posts and the members of the Panchayat Service holding similar posts or class of posts, but shall not include police officers governed by the Bombay Police Act, 1951 (Bom. XXII of 1951);
(i) "Tribunal" means the Gujarat Civil Services Tribunal constituted under section 3.
3. Constitution of Tribunal.- (1) For the purpose of securing in a more effective and satisfactory manner the just claims and interests of specified civil servants with respect to certain matters affecting their rights the State Government shall, by a notified order and with effect on and from such date as may be specified therein, constitute a Tribunal to be called the Gujarat Civil Services Tribunal, consisting of the President and as many other members as the State Government may from time to time determine.
(2) The President shall be a person who has held a post not lower in rank than that of a Secretary to Government for a period of not less than three years or not lower in rank than that of a District Judge for a period of not less than ten years.
(3) In making appointment of other members of the Tribunal, the State Government shall have due regard to the need for including in the Tribunal a reasonable number or proportion of persons having sufficient judicial experience or experience of matters relating to administration.
Explanation.- For the purpose of sub-section (2), "District Judge" shall have the meaning assigned to that expression in article 236 of the Constitution of India.
4. Term of Office and conditions of service of members of Tribunal.- The term for which the President and other members of the Tribunal shall hold office and their other conditions of service shall be such as may be prescribed.
5. Power of State Government to terminate appointment before expiry of term.- The State Government may terminate the appointment of any member of the Tribunal before the expiry of the term of his office if such member-
(i) is adjudged an insolvent, or
(ii) engages during his term of office in any paid employment outside the duties of his office, or
(iii) is, in the opinion of the State Government, unfit to continue in office by reason of infirmity of mind or body, or
(iv) is convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude.
6. Filling of vacancies.- Any vacancy in the membership of the Tribunal shall be filled up by the State Government as soon as practicable:
Provided that if any member of the Tribunal becomes, by reason of illness or other infirmity, temporarily incapable of performing the duties of his office, the State Government may appoint some other person to discharge his duties for any period not exceeding six months at a time.
7. Discharge of functions of President or member during vacancy or absence.- (1) During any vacancy or absence on leave or otherwise of the President, in a case where the Tribunal consists of more than two members, such other member of the tribunal as may be authorised by the State Government, by a general or special order, shall perform the functions of the President.
(2) During any vacancy or absence on leave or otherwise of any member of the Tribunal, the other members, if more than one, may act as Tribunal as if the Tribunal consisted of such other members only.
8. Power of Tribunal to make regulations.- (1) If the members of the Tribunal are divided in opinion, the decision shall be according to the decision of the majority, but if the members are equally divided, the decision shall be according to the decision of the President.
(2) Subject to the provision contained in sub-section (1) and the previous sanction of the State Government the Tribunal shall, for the purpose of regulating its procedure (including the place or places at which it shall hold its sittings and the formation of its Benches, if necessary) and the effective discharge of its functions and disposal of its business, make regulations consistent with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder.
(3) The regulations made under sub-section (2) shall be published in the Official Gazette.
9. Head-Quarters of Tribunal.- The headquarters of the Tribunal shall be at such place as the State Government may, by notified order, determine.
10. Jurisdiction of the Tribunal.- The Tribunal shall have jurisdiction to hear and decide-
(a) appeals filed by specified civil servants under section 11;
(b) any application filed by the State Government under section 12;
(c) appeals and applications transferred to it under section 21.
11. Appeal by specified civil servants.- (1) Any specified civil servant aggrieved by an original or appellate order or decision of any officer or authority other than the State Government with respect to any of the matters specified in the Schedule may within a period of ninety days from the date of such order or decision, appeal to the Tribunal against such order or decision, in a case where an appeal lies under law to the State Government:
Provided that an appeal against any such order or decision passed before the date on which the Tribunal is constituted under section 3 may be filed within the period of ninety days as aforesaid or within a period of one month from such date, whichever period expires later.
(2) No such appeal or an appeal transferred to it under section 21 shall be decided by the Tribunal without giving to the officer or authority against whose order or decision it is filed, an opportunity of placing his or, as the case may be, its views before the Tribunal.
12. Power of State Government to apply for modification, or annulment of order or decision.- (1) Where it appears to the State Government that any order or decision of any officer or authority in relation to any specified civil servant with respect to any of the matters specified in the Schedule against which an appeal lies to the Tribunal under Section 11 requires to be modified, annulled or reversed-
(i) on the ground that it is contrary to law, or
(ii) on the ground that it is inconsistent with the material on record, or
(iii) for any other sufficient reason in the interest of justice,
the State Government may, within a period of ninety days from the date of such order or decision, make an application to the Tribunal to modify, annual or reverse such order or decision.
(2) No such application shall be decided by the Tribunal without notice being given to the civil servant concerned to appear and be heard in support of such order or decision.
13. Tribunal to have powers of Court.- (1) For the purpose of exercising its jurisdiction under this Act, the Tribunal shall have the same powers as are vested in a Civil Court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (V of 1908) in respect of the following matters, namely:-
(a) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him on oath;
(b) requiring the discovery and production of documents;
(c) issuing commissions for the examination of withesses;
(d) any other matter which may be prescribed.
(2) The Tribunal shall be deemed to be a court for the purpose of section 5 of the Limitation Act, 1963 (36 of 1963).
14. Proceedings before the Tribunal to be judicial proceedings.- All proceedings before the Tribunal shall be deemed to be judicial proceedings within the meaning of sections 193, 219 and 228 of the Indian Penal Code (XLV of 1860).
15. Members of Tribunal to be public servants.- All members of the Tribunal shall be deemed to be public servants within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (XLV of 1860).
16. Bar of jurisdiction of Civil Court.- Every decision of the Tribunal passed under this Act shall be final and shall not be called in question before any Civil Court or any other authority.
17. Bar to appearance of legal practitioner.- No legal practitioner shall be allowed to appear in any proceedings before the Tribunal except with the permission of the Tribunal.
18. Exemption from payment of Court fees.- Notwithstanding anything contained in the Bombay Courts Fees Act, 1959 (Bom. XXX-VI of 1959), no court fee shall be levied on any appeal or application made to the Tribunal under this Act.
19. Amendment of Schedule.- The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, add to the Schedule any entry relating to any matter affecting specified civil servants and thereupon the Schedule shall be deemed to have been amended accordingly for the purposes of this Act.
20. Rules.- (1) The State Government may, subject to the condition of previous publication, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.
(2) All rules made under this Act shall be laid for not less than thirty days before the State Legislature as soon as possible after they are made and shall be subject to rescission by the State Legislature or to such modification as the State Legislature may make, during the session in which they are so laid or the session immediately following.
(3) Any rescission or modification so made by the State Legislature shall be published in the Official Gazette and shall thereupon take effect.
21. ??? of jurisdiction of Government and transfer of pending proceedings to Tribunal.- Notwithstanding anything contained in the Gujarat Panchayats Act, 1961 (Guj. VI of 1962), or any other law for the time being in force, neither the State Government nor any Officer or authority empowered to exercise the powers of the State Government shall, with effect on and from the date on which the Tribunal is constituted under Section 3, be competent to cntertain or hear appeals or applications against, or to revise, orders or decisions of any officer or authority in relation, to specified civil servants with respect to any of the matters specified in the Schedule, in cases where an appeal lies to the Tribunal against such orders or decisions under Section 11; and all such appeals or applications and other proceedings in such cases pending on the said date before the State Government or any Officer or authority as aforesaid shall stand transferred to the Tribunal for disposal in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
Schedule
THE SCHEDULE
(See sections 11, 12, 19 and 21.)
(1) Dismissal or removal from service or redaction in rank.
(2) Redaction of par or to a lower time scale of pay.
(3) Non-confirmation in service,
(4) Non-promotion to a higher post.
(5) Reversion to a lower post.
(6) Discharge from service.