Rani Dutta (Das) vs The State Of West Bengal & Ors
2022 Latest Caselaw 4566 Cal

21.07.2022
 Sl. No.438
 Saswata

                                  W.P.A. 15371 of 2019

                                       Rani Dutta (Das)
                                              -Vs-
                                The State of West Bengal & Ors.



                             Mr. Chandan Dutta
                                           ... for the petitioner



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

                     The petitioner was a Head Teacher of a High
              School, who retired on 31.12.2012. She had completed all
              her pension related formalities prior to her retirement.
              However, the concerned authorities delayed and released
              arrear amount on 01.05.2014. The petitioner herein seeks
              interest to be paid on the arrear for the interim period of
              delay in receipt of the arrear 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. Tarsem 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.
                                2




       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 arrear
pension amount calculated on and from 01.01.2013 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.

(Rajasekhar Mantha, J.)