The Official Office of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Tribunal was formally opened in Surat on Monday, marking a significant development for traders and businesses awaiting resolution of long-pending tax disputes. However, hearings of cases are expected to begin only after completion of remaining procedural formalities by the end of January.
The GST Tribunal has been inaugurated at the Solarium Business Centre on New VIP Road. With the opening of the office, two members Sanjay Dwivedi and R.G. Hadwani have assumed charge. It has also been confirmed that J.M. Patel has been appointed as a member and is expected to be designated as the Chairman of the Tribunal. An official announcement in this regard is likely in the coming days.
J.M. Patel is a familiar name in the tax adjudication system, having earlier served as the Chairman of the VAT Tribunal when it was operational. His experience is expected to provide continuity and expertise to the newly constituted GST Tribunal.
Sources said that although the office has started functioning, certain technical processes are still pending. These include integration with the GST portal and issuance of official login credentials and passwords required for members to begin adjudication-related work. Once these formalities are completed—likely by the end of January—the tribunal will formally commence hearings of traders’ cases.
The start of the GST Tribunal is expected to bring long-awaited relief to the trading community. Traders have been facing difficulties for more than eight years due to the absence of a functional appellate tribunal under the GST regime, resulting in prolonged disputes and delayed justice.
With the tribunal now becoming operational, stakeholders are hopeful that pending appeals will be heard expeditiously and long-standing issues faced by businesses will finally be resolved.
Source from: https://deshgujarat.com/2026/01/22/surat-gst-tribunal-office-opens-case-hearings-likely-to-begin-by-end-of-january/
