VIJAYAWADA: The Circuit Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Vijayawada has completed one year of operations since its launch on February 17, 2025. The Bench was set up to improve access to justice in service-related matters for Central Government employees and pensioners in AP, fulfilling a demand that had been pending since 1986.
The Bench currently functions from rented premises on the fifth floor of Stalin Corporate Building, Auto Nagar, Vijayawada. Court sittings are held for a week each month, usually in the third week, with members and staff travelling from the CAT Main Bench in Hyderabad.
In its first year, the Bench, composed of Lata Baswaraj Patne (Judicial Member and Head of Department), VSK Kaumudi (Administrative Member, IPS Retd), and Shalini Mishra (Administrative Member, IAS Retd), recorded notable progress in case disposal.
Before its set up, pendency stood at 1,627 cases. Between February 2025 and February 2026, 967 new cases were filed, while 1,420 were disposed of. Current pendency stands at 1,174 cases. With 50 sitting days, the Bench achieved a disposal efficiency of 146 per cent, reducing pendency by more than 28 per cent from the earlier position.
Disposals exceeded fresh filings, reflecting improved case management at the Central Administrative Tribunal’s Circuit Bench in Vijayawada.
The Bench reduced the need for litigants to travel to Hyderabad, saving time and costs while improving access to justice. Efforts by judges, advocates, government counsels and registry staff ensured timely disposal of service matters. The government has initiated steps to allot land in Amaravati, in coordination with the AP Capital Region Development Authority, for a permanent Bench to boost regular sittings and disposal capacity.