Awadh Bar Association calls off ongoing strike against place of establishment of Education Tribunal, GST Appellate Tribunal

The Awadh Bar Association, which has been abstaining from work since February 24 protesting against the place of establishment of Education Tribunal and Goods and Services Tax (GST) Appellate Tribunal, has decided to call off the strike. .On March 6, a resolution was passed by the Association as per which the members collectively resolved to resume work. ." For the time being, the agenda to refrain from judicial work has been kept aside. All the members of the Awadh Bar Association, along with the lawyers will be joining the court from March 8 and judicial work will be resumed," the resolution said. .The Association also resolved to form a 'Jurisdictional Struggle Committee' (Kshetradhikar Sanghars Samiti) which will consist of advocates, academicians and members of social organizations. This committee will hold a candle march at General Post Office, Lucknow on March 12, the Association further resolved. .The Awadh Bar Association has been protesting against Uttar Pradesh Education Tribunal Services Bill of 2021, which was tabled by the Uttar Pradesh government during the annual budget.The bill in its earlier form, provided that the main bench of Education Tribunal would be established at Lucknow, but later the Bill was modified and the sitting of benches were bifurcated at both Allahabad and Lucknow. .The members want the seat of the Tribunal to be solely at Lucknow without any bifurcation as there is enough place/infrastructure to comply with the requirements..Apart from Education Tribunal, the Awadh Bar Association has also taken exception to the proposal to establish the GST Appellate Tribunal at Prayagraj. .The government had earlier said that the seat of this tribunal would be at Lucknow. However, it was later decided that the same would be established at Prayagraj. .The Awadh Bar Association also filed a petition before the Allahabad High Court challenging the said decision with the High Court staying the government decision to establish GST Appellate Tribunal in UP. .Interestingly, the Allahabad High Court Bar Association (AHCBA) is also on strike over the issue of seat of Education Tribunal. It's demand is that the Education Tribunal's principal seat should be at Prayagraj instead of Lucknow. On March 6, it was resolved by AHCBA that the strike will continue, and in pursuance of the same, the association has declared "Prayagraj band" on March 9..Meanwhile, the Allahabad High Court on March 3 took suo motu cognizance of the strikes by both the Bar associations taking a dim view of the boycott of courts. By the absentation from judicial work, valuable judicial time has been criminally wasted and that has effected judicial working of Allahabad High Court for other important jurisdictions also......The largest High Court of the country cannot afford such nonfunctionality of Courts on any count.".It proceeded to order that the Education Tribunal can be established only with the leave of the High Court and also directed the State government to invite representatives of the Bar Associations of Allahabad and Lucknow for deliberations on the issues which have led to the strike.