Calcutta High Court (Appellete Side)
Manoranjan Samanta vs The State Of West Bengal & Ors on 24 September, 2021
W.P.A. 9071 of 2021
202 24.09.2021
Ct.05
(Through Video Conference)
rkd
Manoranjan Samanta
-vs-
The State of West Bengal & Ors.
Mr. Sandip Ghosh,
Ms. Sabita Khutia (Bhunia),
....for the petitioner.
Mr. Parikshit Goswami
....for the State.
Affidavit-of-service filed in Court is kept with
the record.
Petitioner is a retired teacher who retired on
superannuation with effect from 29th February, 2016
and the first pension payment order was issued on 9th
February, 2016 thereby releasing retiral dues in favour
of the writ petitioner. Pursuant to the said pension
payment order, disbursement was made in favour of
the writ petitioner on 1st April, 2016. Subsequently, in
terms of ROPA 2019 revised pension payment order
was issued on 2nd February, 2021 and payment as per
said revised pension payment order was made in
favour of the writ petitioner on 27th February, 2021.
Writ petitioner claims interest on delayed payment of
gratuity as per revised pension payment order.
The entitlement of the writ petitioner to
interest on delayed payment of gratuity due to
superannuation has already been decided in the writ
petition being W.P.No.4600(W) of 2019 (Rabindra
Kumar Bhattacharjee vs State of West Bengal and
Ors.) wherein upon placing reliance on judgment of
the Apex Court in the case of Union of India vs.
Tarsem Singh, reported in (2008) 8 SCC 648 on
condoning delay in approaching the Court for payment
of interest on gratuity the said writ petition was
allowed by extending the benefit on delayed payment of
gratuity upon due consideration of the fact that there
is no accrual of third party interest and matter relates
to payment of retiral dues.
Taking note of the observations made by the
coordinate Bench in the order dated 17th April, 2019
passed in W.P. No. 4600(W) of 2019 (Rabindra Kumar
Bhattacharjee vs. State of West Bengal and Ors.)
this Court finds it apposite to grant interest on gratuity
to the writ petitioner due to delay in releasing the said
amount.
Accordingly, the Director of Pension Provident
Fund and Group Insurance and the concerned
Treasury Officer are directed to pay interest at the rate
of Rs.8% per annum to the writ petitioner on delayed
payment of gratuity as per revised pension payment
order issued in terms of ROPA 2019 from 14th
February, 2020 till the date of actual disbursement of
the gratuity amount, within a period of eight weeks
from the date of communication of this order.
Since no affidavit is called for, the allegations
contained in the writ petition are deemed not to have
been admitted.
With the above observation, the writ petition
stands disposed of.
There shall be no order as to costs.
Urgent photostat certified copy of the order, if
applied for, be given to the parties, upon usual
undertakings.
(Saugata Bhattacharyya, J.)
