The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the presidents of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal and the National Company Law Tribunal to submit detailed proposals outlining the infrastructure, buildings and staffing required to improve the tribunals’ day-to-day functioning.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana asked both the presidents to submit the proposals within four weeks.
"The proposals may also include the requirements of land/building as well as requisite staff. NCLT will also consider desirability of the officer in the rank of Deputy/Jt. Registrar for every bench for upkeep of judicial record.
"Let all such requirements be examined and placed before us. We will appreciate if requisite information is forwarded to this court in four weeks. Attorney General shall nevertheless impress upon Union to ensure that all basic amenities are made available at the earliest," the bench said.
The top court also asked the Centre to have a meeting with the stakeholders concerned after Attorney General R Venkataramani proposed a joint meeting with the tribunal leadership and the Bar to identify priorities.
The directions came after it was informed that infrastructure at the NCLT Principal Bench was “collapsing”, with two floors shut and courts functioning at half strength.
The apex court had earlier directed the Centre to identify infrastructural amenities urgently required by the National Company Law Tribunal benches in consultation with the NCLT president.
Observing that tribunals are government's lifeline, it had also ordered the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) Principal Bench Bar Association to collect data on infrastructure at all regional benches in a tabulated format.
The top court was hearing a suo motu case regarding appointment of judicial and technical members and inadequate infrastructure in the NCLT.
The NCLT Bar Association has filed an application in a pending matter contending that at least 18 benches of NCLT are holding only half-day sittings because of shortage of members.
The Association told the top court that the sanctioned strength of the NCLT continues to be 63 members even though its jurisdiction substantially expanded after the enactment of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).
The plea stated that as of June 30, 2026, the tribunal has 26 judicial members and 25 technical members, including the president.
(With inputs from PTI)