In a major leap for Jharkhand’s tax dispute resolution mechanism, the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) Ranchi Bench officially commenced its first hearings on Thursday at its temporary office premises in Khelgaon. This marks a significant milestone as Ranchi becomes only the second state bench in India to initiate hearings at the tribunal level.
The proceedings began with the traditional lighting of the diya by Vice President Tushar Kanti Sethapaty, who leads the judicial proceedings for the state. The inaugural event was attended by high-ranking representatives from the CGST Ranchi Commissionerate, the Jharkhand State Department of Commercial Taxes, and prominent members of the Tax Bar Association and Bar Council.
The current Division Bench comprises Tushar Kanti Sethapaty, Judicial Member and Vice President and B.B. Mohapatra, Technical Member (Centre).
Under the supervision of Deputy Registrar Vishal Kumar and Assistant Registrar Shresth Kumar, the bench has established a framework for handling the backlog of tax disputes. Supporting the bench are Court Officers Vijay Kumar Gupta and Rahul Kumar, while Mukesh Kumar Pathak serves as the Scrutiny Reporter to streamline future case listings.
Highlighting the new facility’s operational readiness, Deputy Registrar Vishal Kumar noted that the bench is fully prepared to provide swift and fair adjudication to taxpayers across all 24 districts of Jharkhand.
{{/usCountry}}Highlighting the new facility’s operational readiness, Deputy Registrar Vishal Kumar noted that the bench is fully prepared to provide swift and fair adjudication to taxpayers across all 24 districts of Jharkhand.
{{/usCountry}}“The operationalisation of this bench is a critical step in reducing the litigation burden on the High Court. We are committed to ensuring that every case is processed with precision at the registrar level to facilitate timely justice for the state’s business community,” ,” stated Kumar.
A high court advocate welcomed the move. “Previously, Jharkhand taxpayers had to approach the High Court for relief because a second appellate authority was not functional. With the Ranchi Bench now active, taxpayers can file appeals under Section 112 of the CGST Act. The tribunal provides a more accessible and cost-effective forum for dispute resolution compared to writ petitions,” said advocate Dheeraj Kumar.