Anjan Kumar Mukhopadhyay v. The Durgapur Projects Limited And Others

08.02.2022 Ct. No.23 pg.

IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA

CONSTITUTIONAL WRIT JURISDICTION APPELLATE SIDE WPA 269 of 2022 Anjan Kumar Mukhopadhyay Vs.

The Durgapur Projects Limited & Ors.

Mr. Siddhartha Sarkar ... For the petitioner Mr. Sujit Sankar Koley ... For the respondents Affidavit of service filed in Court today is taken on record.

The petitioner was an employee in Durgapur Projects Limited (in short "DPL"), the respondent no.1. The petitioner retired from service on 31st January, 2021. The petitioner on his retirement was entitled to payment of gratuity of Rs.20,00,000/-. This figure is not in dispute. The petitioner was paid this amount on 4th August, 2021 towards gratuity. The date of payment is also not in dispute. The petitioner says that there has been a delay of about 6 months in making of the said sum of Rs.20,00,000/- on account of gratuity. The petitioner further says that he has not been paid the amount due on account of leave salary. The petitioner, therefor, is entitled to interest for delayed payment of gratuity as per the provisions of Section 7(3A) of the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 (hereinafter referred to as the "said Act") since the same is part of the retiral benefits.

It further appears from a memo dated 12th August, 2021 issued by DPL (appearing at page 13 of the writ petition) that the petitioner is entitled to payment of salary equivalent to 282.5 days Earned Leave lying in his credit on the date of retirement. DPL is liable to pay the said payment of salary equivalent to 282.5 days Earned Leave to the petitioner as such sum has not yet been paid with interest from the date of retirement till actual payment since there is no dispute in this regard.

The issues involved in the instant writ petition are squarely covered by a recent judgment and order of this Court dated 9th August, 2021 passed in WPA 11485 of 2021 (Kajal Pal v. The Durgapur Projects Ltd. & Ors.). The consensus between the parties as was in case of Kajal Pal (supra) is also there in the instant case.

As such, this writ petition is disposed of on the similar lines as in Kajal Pal (supra), which are as follows:- The respondent no.1 is directed to pay interest to the writ petitioner at the rate of 6 per cent per annum on Rs.20,00,000/- being the amount on account of gratuity calculated on and from 1st February, 2021 till 4th August, 2021, a sum equivalent to salary for 282.5 days calculated on the basis of his last drawn salary with interest @ 6 per cent per annum from 1st February, 2021 till actual payment, within a period of six months from the date of communication of a photostat certified copy of this order

and in default statutory rate of 10 per cent as in case of gratuity will be attracted on the entire amount from 1st February, 2021 till 4th August, 2021.

Nothing further remains to be adjudicated in this writ petition. The same is disposed of accordingly without any order as to costs.

Since I have not called for any affidavits, allegations made in the writ petition are deemed to have not been admitted by the respondents.

Urgent photostat certified copy of this order, if applied for, be given to the parties, upon compliance of necessary formalities.

(Arindam Mukherjee, J.)