ITAT appointments will be concluded in three weeks, Centre tells Supreme Court

The central government today informed the Supreme Court that the appointments to the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) will be completed within three weeks..In a PIL filed by one Akshay Pundir, Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar told a Bench of Chief Justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud that the process of finalising the selection is likely to be concluded within three weeks..The Bench recorded the same in its order and directed the Centre to produce the appointment orders before the court within three weeks..The petition challenged the inaction of the Centre in filling up vacancies in the ITAT. It states,.“It is submitted that in August 2015, a DPC (meeting) for filling up the new post of seven Vice Presidents and one senior Vice President was conducted under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, in which seven ITAT members have been promoted to the post of Vice President on the basis of their seniority and one has been promoted to the post of senior Vice President.”.It had also mentioned that the post of President falls vacant on February 17 this year, and that only two Vice-Presidents are working at the ITAT at present..In addition, the petition also alleges that graft charges were leveled against the two members who are currently working as Vice Presidents. It is prayed that they may not be appointed as President, owing to their poor integrity.