The Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) in Jabalpur has gone 13 months without a permanent presiding officer, disrupting judicial work and leaving cases pending. No regular appointment has been made since Ramnivas Patel who retired on September 20, 2025. In the interim, Virendra Sharma, Pravesh Kumar Singh, Umesh Kumar Sharma, and Pankaj Kumar Upadhyay have each held charge at different times. Pankaj Kumar Upadhyay currently handles the post on a temporary basis. Officials have relied on this additional-charge arrangement for nearly a year, raising concerns about the timely hearing and disposal of cases.

 

The tribunal hears matters concerning the recovery of bank dues, auctions of mortgaged properties, repossession, and stays. Such cases depend on regular hearings and prompt orders, and lawyers say the lack of a dedicated presiding officer threatens to stall them. Litigants and banks, they add, are left waiting for relief. Parties seeking appellate relief face an additional burden, since Jabalpur has no local Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal (DRAT) and appeals must be filed in other cities. This adds to the time and expense of litigation, making a regular presiding officer at the local DRT even more necessary. Advocates working with DRT Jabalpur have asked the Centre to act quickly so that proceedings can resume on a steady footing and parties can obtain timely decisions.

 

 

immediately: Adv Saini Advocate R K Singh Saini, a member of the Madhya Pradesh State Bar Council, has urged the Union Finance Ministry to appoint a regular presiding officer at the Jabalpur DRT without delay. Adv Saini that said the current arrangement leaves insufficient time for hearings, affecting lawyers and litigants who approach the tribunal for relief, as well as banks pursuing recovery.

 

Advocate Wajid Haider, former President of Jabalpur DRT Bar Association has also demanded a permanent appointment. He said it is a matter of concern that the tribunal, operational since April 7, 1998, has remained without a regular presiding officer for such a long period. He called on the Finance Ministry to treat the issue seriously to ensure continuity in the tribunal’s functioning.