Juthika Mukherjee v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.

S/L 44 22.01.2025 Court No.19 SD

IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA

CONSTITUTIONAL WRIT JURISDICTION WPA 12120 of 2024 Juthika Mukherjee Vs.

The State of West Bengal & Ors.

Mrs. Sudipa Banerjee ... for the Petitioner.

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

In spite of service, none appears on behalf of the Staterespondent. The husband of the petitioner was an approved Assistant Teacher of a primary school, the said teacher retired from his said service on superannuation on December 31, 2018 and died on August 25, 2019.

The first pension payment order of the employee concerned was issued on December 12, 2018.

Under the ROPA Rules, 2019, there was revision of the pension, gratuity and computation of pension of the pensioners vide Memorandum of the Government of West Bengal bearing No. 53/ES/P/P&B/10M-99/2019 dated February 14, 2020 and the revised pension payment order of the employee concerned under ROPA, 2019 was issued on November 8, 2021, in terms thereof, the petitioner received the arrear pension and gratuity on November 30, 2021.

The petitioner in the instant writ petition is claiming that she is entitled to interest for the delayed payment of the said gratuity and arrear pension and is praying issuance of writ of mandamus commanding the Director of Pension, Provident Fund and Group Insurance and the concerned Treasury Officer, the respondents herein, to pay such interest.

It is now well settled that the petitioner is entitled to the interest, as prayed for.

The aforementioned respondents are, therefore directed to pay interest on the revised gratuity and arrear pension @ 8% per annum from the date of notification of the aforesaid Government order i.e. February 14, 2020 till the date of payment of revised gratuity and arrear pension in terms of the said revised Pension payment order.

The payment, as aforesaid, shall be made within a period of twelve weeks from the date of communication of this order, in default, the said arrears amount shall fetch an additional interest of 2% per annum.

WPA 12120 of 2024 stands disposed of with the above directions without any 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.)