The Government Of Andhra Pradesh, v. D.Prasanna,

THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTI CE SANJAY KUMAR AND THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTI CE M.GANGA RAO WRI T PETI TI ON NO.32525 OF 2013

O R D E R

(Per Hon'ble Sri Justice Sanjay Kumar) The Government of Andhra Pradesh and its officials in the Education Department filed this writ petition aggrieved by the order dated 14.12.2012 passed by the Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal, Hyderabad (hereinafter, 'the Tribunal'), in O.A.No.9865 of 2012. The said O.A. was filed by the first respondent herein aggrieved by the belated payment of pension and other retirement benefits and seeking payment of interest thereon at the rate of 18% per annum. By the order under challenge, the Tribunal granted interest at the rate of 12% per annum taking note of the fact that the first respondent-applicant retired from service on 30.06.2010 but benefits were released to him only on 20.03.2012.

By order dated 14.11.2013, this Court granted interim suspension of the order under challenge. W.V.M.P.No.123 of 2016 was filed by the first respondent-applicant to vacate the said order. Learned Government Pleader for Services appearing for the petitioners would inform this Court that in similar matters, this Court scaled down the interest payable on the belated payment of retiral benefits to 9% per annum.

In that view of the matter, we are of the opinion that the order under challenge also requires to be modified to be on the same lines. The writ petition is accordingly allowed to the extent of reducing the interest payable on the belated payments made to the first respondentapplicant on 20.03.2012 from 12% per annum to 9% per annum. The

amount due under this order shall be remitted within four weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.

Pending miscellaneous petitions shall stand closed in the light of this final order. No order as to costs.

____________________ SANJAY KUMAR, J ____________________ M. GANGA RAO, J 12th SEPTEMBER, 2018 Svv