Exclusive tribunal jurisdiction over casual employees' service claims excludes High Court writ jurisdiction under the statutory scheme.

Service disputes falling within Article 323A and the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 were held to be within the exclusive jurisdiction of the statutory tribunal, with the High Court's writ jurisdiction excluded. The statutory phrase conferring jurisdiction was treated broadly enough to cover claims by casual employees against the Union of India where the dispute was founded on an asserted service relationship and sought continuation in employment and related benefits. A narrow reading was rejected, and the forum challenge based on the employees' status was held untenable. The claim was therefore within the Tribunal's jurisdiction, and the High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the writ petitions.

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Issues: Whether the Central Administrative Tribunal had exclusive jurisdiction over the respondents' challenge to termination of their casual employment, thereby excluding the High Court's jurisdiction.

Analysis: Article 323A of the Constitution of India empowered Parliament to provide for adjudication of service-related disputes by administrative tribunals, and the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 was enacted in exercise of that power. Section 14 vested in the Tribunal the jurisdiction, powers and authority otherwise exercisable by all courts except the Supreme Court in respect of the matters covered by the enactment. The expression used in the statute was treated as wide enough to include claims of casual employees against the Union of India, especially where the claim itself was founded on their asserted service relationship and sought continuation in employment and related benefits. A narrow construction was rejected, and the respondents' attempt to rely on their employment while denying the Tribunal's jurisdiction was held to be untenable.

Conclusion: The claim was held to fall within the Tribunal's jurisdiction, and the High Court was held to lack jurisdiction to entertain the writ petitions.

Ratio Decidendi: Where a service dispute falls within the matters covered by Article 323A and the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, the jurisdiction of the High Court stands excluded and the statutory tribunal alone is the proper forum, even in relation to casual employees asserting a service claim against the Union of India.

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