The government today approved setting up of six additional benches of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), including three new ones at Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Allahabad with an aim to increase disposal of cases.

The other three additional benches will come up at the existing locations of New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.

"With the creation of six additional benches of CESTAT, disposal of cases will increase and pendency will decrease benefiting government and tax payers," an official statement said after theCabinet approved setting up of the benches.

The proposal, it added, would facilitate the cause of the government as well as litigants, by reducing travel time and expenditure and also the timely disposal of cases.

The statement further said additional/new Benches would require the creation of 12 posts of Members of the Tribunal (6 Technical and 6 Judicial Members) in the Higher Administrative Grade (HAG+) in addition to 98 posts of supporting staff including Deputy Registrar/Assistant Registrar.

 "The creation of additional/new Benches of the CESTAT would amount to a one time expenditure of Rs 3.45 crore while the recurring expenditure would be Rs 10 crore per annum," it added.

At present, CESTAT has three benches each in Delhi and Mumbai and one bench each at Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad. The headquarters as well as Principal Bench of the Tribunal are in Delhi.

CESTAT was created in 1982 to provide an independent forum to hear the appeal against orders and decisions passed by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise.

Service tax appeals have been included in the jurisdiction of the tribunal.

The Tribunal is also empowered to hear the appeals against the orders passed by designated authority with regard to anti-dumping duties.(PTI)