(1.) Unless it is established that the litigant before the authority has been guilty of latches and delay to such an extent that if his matters were to be taken up for adjudication, gross injustice would result to the other side, delay is to be condoned. It is always just and fair that the matters are decided on merits rather than disposed of on a technical ground of limitation, unless delay is so gross that the only inference possible is that the litigant has been intentionally indulging in procrastination.