Joydeb Bhukta vs The State Of West Bengal & Ors
2022 Latest Caselaw 6560 Cal

14.09.2022
 (D/L-53)
   Ct.-18
 (Susanta)

                               W.P.A. 18457 of 2022

                               Joydeb Bhukta
                                      -Vs-
                        The State of West Bengal & Ors.

               Mr. Subhrangsu Panda,
               Ms. Ina Bhattacharyya,
               Ms. Mithu Singha Mahapatra,
                                      .... For the Petitioner.

               Ms. Tapati Samanta,
                                                 .... For the State.

                  Affidavit-of-service   filed   by   the   learned

             advocate for the petitioner be kept with the record.

                  The petitioner was an Assistant Teacher and

             retired from his said service on superannuation on

             August 31, 2008.

                  The petitioner exercised option to switch over

             to Pension-cum-Gratuity from CPF-cum-Gratuity

             by refunding the employer's share of contribution

             with interest and additional interest on September

             11, 2014 i.e. within the time limited by the

             notification of the Government of West Bengal

             bearing No. 749-SE(L)/SL/5S-56/13(Pt-V) dated

             June 13, 2014.

                  The grievance of the petitioner is that the

             Pension Payment Order was issued in favour of the

             petitioner with effect from the date of the refund of

             the said employer's share of contribution, instead

             from the date following the date of his retirement.
                           2




     The petitioner by the instant writ petition is

praying for issuance of a writ of mandamus

commanding the respondents to release the arrear

pension from the date following the date of his

retirement.

In view of the judgment of the Special Bench

of this Court in the case of DISTRICT INSPECTOR

OF SCHOOLS(SE), KOLKATA vs. ABHIJIT

BAIDYA reported in 2013(3) CHN (CAL) 711 and

in view of subsequent clarification of some of the

paragraphs of the said judgment by the Special

Bench in its order dated September 30, 2019 on

G.A. 464 of 2018, the issue whether the petitioner

is entitled to pension from the date following the

date of his retirement or from the date of the

refund of the employer's share of contribution is no

longer res integra.

Therefore, the petitioner is entitled to the

arrear pension, as prayed for and in consequence

thereof, the concerned District Inspector of

School(SE) is directed to verify the records

expeditiously to ascertain as to whether the

petitioner had exercised the said option and

refunded the employer's share of contribution

within the time limited by the aforesaid notification

dated 13th June, 2014.

In the event, it is found that the said option

has been exercised within the said time, the said

authority shall process the claim of the petitioner

for arrears of pension and shall forward the

necessary recommendation and/or sanction to the

Director of Pension, Provident Fund and Group

Insurance and the concerned Treasury Officer,

who, in turn, shall take steps to issue Revised

Pension Payment Order in favour of the petitioner

with effect from the date following the date of his

retirement on superannuation and shall release the

pension in accordance with the Revised Pension

Payment Order.

Entire exercise in this regard is required to be

completed within a period of twelve weeks from the

date of communication of this order.

W.P.A 18457 of 2022 stands disposed of with

the above directions. There shall be no order as to

costs.

Urgent photostat certified copy of this order, if

applied for, be supplied to the parties subject to

compliance with all requisite formalities.

(Biswajit Basu, J.)