Dhira Bhattacharjee v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.

25.01.2023 Item No.137 Court No.18 SK W.P.A. 340 of 2023 Dhira Bhattacharjee -Vs- The State of West Bengal & Ors.

Mr. Banshi Badan Maity ......for the petitioner.

Ms. Sanjukta Samanta ... for the State.

Affidavit-of-service filed by the learned advocate for the petitioner be kept with the record.

The petitioner was an approved Non-Teaching Staff (Group - D) of a secondary school and retired from her said service on superannuation on June 30, 2020.

The Pension Payment Order of the petitioner was issued on August 30, 2022 in pursuance whereof she received the gratuity and the arrear Pension on October 12, 2022.

In the instant writ petition the prayer of the petitioner is a writ of mandamus be issued commanding the respondents to pay interest on the said amount of gratuity and the arrear pension for the delayed payment.

Learned advocate for the State-respondents does not oppose the prayer of the petitioner. It is now well settled that the petitioner is entitled to the interest, as prayed for.

The respondents, the concerned Treasury Officer in particular are, therefore, directed to pay interest @ 8% per annum on the gratuity and the

arrear amount of pension from the date of retirement of the petitioner till the date of such payment. The payment as aforesaid shall be made within the period of eight weeks from the date of communication of this order, in default the said arrear amount shall fetch an additional interest of 2% per annum.

W.P.A. 340 of 2023 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.)