Joydeb Ghosh vs The State Of West Bengal & Ors
2021 Latest Caselaw 573 Cal

95 27.01.2021
Sc
                                   WPA 2949 OF 2020
                                   (Through Video Conference)
                                            --------

Joydeb Ghosh Vs.

The State of West Bengal & Ors.

Ms. Sanchayita De ... for the Petitioner

Affidavit of service filed in court today is kept with the record.

The petitioner was an Assistant Teacher of a High School who retired on 31.05.2006. The first pension payment order was issued on 31.05.2006. Under the ROPA Rules, 2009 there was revision of the pensionary amount payable to the petitioner. The revised pension payment order was issued on 18.03.2013 and the revised arrear pension amount was disbursed on 21.10.2013 in terms of ROPA, 2009. The petitioner claims interest on delayed payment of the revised gratuity and arrear pension amount.

There is a considerable delay in filing of the writ petition, which the petitioner seeks to justify by stating that there is no statutory period of limitation and neither parties have suffered due to this delay. It is the submission of the petitioner that accordingly the petition should be allowed. The petitioner relies upon an order in W.P. 17557 (W) of 2017 (Narayan Chandra Saha vs. State of West Bengal & Ors.) wherein a co- ordinate Bench had relied upon the Supreme Court judgment in the case of Union of India vs. Tarmen Singh, reported in (2008) 8 SCC 648 on the issue of limitation relating to payment or refixation of pay or pension wherein the Apex Court had held that relief

may be granted in spite of delay as it does not affect the rights of the third party.

In view of the above and after hearing the learned Counsel for the parties, I direct the Director of Pension, Provident Fund and Group Insurance, Government of West Bengal as also the concerned Treasury Officer to pay interest to the petitioner @ 8% per annum on the revised arrear pension amount calculated on and from June 1, 2009 till the date of actual payment. Such payment is to be made within a period of eight weeks from the date of communication of this order.

With these observations, the writ petition is disposed of.

Since, no affidavit-in-opposition has been called for, the allegations made in the writ petition are deemed to have not been admitted by the respondents.

There will be no order as to costs.

Urgent photostat certified copy of this order, if applied for, be given to the parties, on priority basis.

(Shekhar B. Saraf, J.)