CHANDIGARH: Justice Virender Singh, chairman of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), has assured the members of the Armed Forces Tribunal Bar Association, Chandigarh, that every effort will be made to clear the pendency of the cases at the Chandigarh bench. At the UT bench, no permanent judicial member is functioning since September 23, 2016.

Justice Singh suggested a special court of the AFT at Chandigarh, which will be presided over by him on March 11 and he would take up all covered matters of rounding of disability as well as the honorary Naib Subedar cases, which are directly covered by the Supreme Court judgments.

Justice Singh came from New Delhi to hold Chandigarh bench on Thursday and Friday. The cases have piled up considerably due to non-functioning of all the three benches at Chandigarh.

Bhim Sen Sehgal, chairman of the All India Ex-servicemen Welfare Association (AIEWA) and a practicing advocate, apprised Justice Virender Singh regarding the pendency of the cases which has caused inconvenience and harassment to the war widows, disabled soldiers, family pensioners as cases have been pending for the last four to five years.

Sehgal further apprised that even the judgments of 2010, 2011 and 2012 have not been implemented by Union ministry of defence and principal controller of defence accounts, Allahabad.

It was also agreed by the AFT Bar members present in the court. He told the members that he would make all out efforts to get the judicial members appointed on regular basis not only in the AFT Chandigarh bench but also at other benches.

Justice Singh is also holding the court on Friday at Chandigarh.