Priti Kolay Gas v. The State Of West Bengal Service Through The Principal Secretary

16-02-2023 Item No.7 Subrata Bhattacharyya

IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA

Constitutional Writ Jurisdiction Appellate Side WPA No.3022 of 2023 Priti Koley -vsThe State of West Bengal & Ors.

Ms. Arpita Saha Mr. Krishna Pada Santra ...for the petitioner Ms. Anima Das Chakraborty ...for the State The writ petitioner retired from service on superannuation as a librarian of the Public Library, Howrah on January 31, 2020. After her retirement, the pension payment order was issued by the authority concerned on September 8, 2020.

The petitioner's case is that though she retired on January 31, 2020, she received payment of her pensionary benefits on September 24, 2020. Hence she seeks a direction upon the concerned authority to pay interest to her for the belated payment of gratuity and arrear pension. Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that getting the pensionary benefits is the legal right of the petitioner and that the pensionary amount is not a bounty of the employer. He further submits that as per the nationalised savings scheme for the senior citizens, any deposit made by a senior citizen now carries interest at the rate of 8% p.a. He further submits that had the petitioner received his pensionary benefits on time, the amount which she would have received would carry interest at the rate of 8% p.a. As such, learned counsel prays for interest at the rate of 8% p.a. for the belated payment of pensionary amount.

Having heard learned counsels appearing for the respective parties and on consideration of the documents annexed to the writ petition, I feel that the writ petition may be disposed of by passing the following direction. Accordingly, the concerned respondent, especially the third respondent - the Treasury Officer, Howrah - is directed to pay interest at the rate of 8% p.a. on the delayed payment of gratuity and arrear pension in terms of the pension payment order from February 1, 2020 till the date of final payment, within six weeks from the date of communication of this order.

With the aforesaid direction, WPA No.3022 of 2023 stands disposed of. No order as to costs.

All parties are to act on the server copy of this order duly downloaded from the official website of this court. Certified copy of this order, if applied for, shall be made available to the parties.

[Rabindranath Samanta, J]