People will no longer have to visit Delhi for matters pertaining to customs, excise and service tax as the regional bench of the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) will start functioning here from December 1.

The bench will have territorial jurisdiction over Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, A Mohan Kumar, registrar, CESTAT, said on Friday.

“Appeals and applications pertaining to customs, excise and service tax arising within the territorial jurisdiction of the states of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh, and the union territory of Chandigarh were being taken up at the principal bench of CESTAT in New Delhi.

The government constituted a regional bench in Chandigarh as per the recommendation of justice G Raghuram, CESTAT president. Kumar said justice Raghuram would inaugurate the bench here on December 1.