CII urges Govt to set up centralised oversight mechanism for tribunals

New Delhi, May 25: Apex business chamber CII has urged the Government to set up a centralised oversight mechanism to ensure uniformity, policy coherence, and improvement in the overall performance of tribunals that adjudicate a large volume of cases in critical areas such as labour, environment, and taxes.

In a research note released on Sunday, CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) suggested that suitable amendments may be introduced in the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, to provide legislative backing to this exercise.

"Such a central body could undertake functions like performance monitoring, data tracking, coordination with the search-cum-selection committees, capacity building, and independent grievance redressal," the note said.

According to CII, enhancing the efficiency of tribunals is critical for unlocking substantial fiscal resources tied up in disputes and improving the overall ease of doing business. For instance, as of December 31, 2024, Rs 6.7 trillion was pending resolution at the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) alone, which constituted nearly 57 per cent of all ligated direct taxes amount in the country.